FOLLOW YOUR HEART
by Falling4theFallen
Summary: Nora gave her heart to her bff Patch when she was 5, but what will happen when his heart gets broke & she's forced to choose between her family & a man who has sworn off love forever? How much is she willing to put up with to be with him? Will they survive competition, bed buddies & tragedy to find love or lose it all? OOC!LEMONS! AH/AU,Starts Slow 1st story-plz R&R rom/angst/drama
1. Chapter 1 - INTRODUCING THE FAMILY'S

**DISCLAIMER: ALL HUSH HUSH CHARACTERS BELONG TO BECCA FITZPATRICK**

**THIS STORY: **_**This is my first story EVER, it starts off very slow (the beginning is intro's and get to know the characters before story really starts), it's VERY OOC, and Nora comes across very weak, especially towards the beginning so I ask you to keep in mind, this is a girl who is very young when this story really starts to pick up she's a young teen and has no experience with love of any kind really. Patch is five years older and has a lot of experience, but none of it with love, especially from his dad who was abusive. Both children are emotionally neglected, they only have each other and the events that will bind them together. It may be hard to start with to understand the way Nora feels, the choices she makes and what she puts up with, but eventually I think you will understand if you see it through a little bit. Like I said though, this is my first story ever so I'm learning the ropes. Please be kind, please read and review, it's the only way I will know how to improve and what you think...thank you and I hope you enjoy :)**_

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><p><strong><span>FOLLOW YOUR HEART<span>**

**CHAPTER 1**

**INTRODUCING THE FAMILIES**

Clista Grey looked at the four kids playing in the back yard. It was a large expanse of lush green lawn surrounded by impeccable gardens fitting of the upscale high-class it belonged to. The yard had an oversized opening on the left property line that was flanked by the same eight foot high shrubbery that was bright green and perfectly manicured lining the property line creating a natural privacy fence. Everything about this house and property screamed money and begged attention. If you walked through the arch joined the Cipriano family plot. Clista didn't live here, she had her own grand home, no this home belonged to her son Harrison Grey and his gold digging wife. Harrison had inherited an obscene amount of money when Cyclist's husband Nick had died, much to her dismay her Harrison and his wife Blythe had become the epitome of socialites. Her son now ran the multimillion dollar company her beloved husband had built from scratch with his hard work, blood and tears into what it is today. He had died many years ago and upon his death their only son, Harrison, had changed.

Harrison was a very smart man, except when it came to wife. He was kind of on the quiet side, but meeting Blythe he had become barely recognizable to Clista and that was not a compliment. Now all Harrison and his wife cared about was their precious appearance and reputation, both controlled how high they could climb the social ladder. That's what Blythe had turned her son into, everything Clista hated. Money hadn't changed her, she remained an intelligent woman with a spine of steel and a wicked sense of humor who spoke what was on her mind. Clista had a huge heart that had endless love for her grandchildren and those who earned her respect with no regard to money or society status. She had values and morals, she was equal parts traditional and not. While Clista's days were filled with her grand baby's and charity work her son's were filled with work and snoozing clients. Blythe spent her time socializing and planning elaborate parties they would host or help organize for the who's who in Coldwater Creek, Maine. Harrison's wife's time 'off' included mani/pedi's, getting her hair done and shopping, after all looks and money were everything in their circle of 'friends'. Let's not forget the time Clista was sure she spent cheating with the snake Hank Miller. Her son was a fool for thinking Blythe was in love with him, in fact her granddaughter, Nora, looked more than suspiciously like her son's best friend, Hank. Clista couldn't stand the thought that her son had been cheated on, but it would never change the love she had for Nora, no Nora was every bit her heart and soul as her sister Vee.

Clista took in the scene before her while relaxing by the pool. The new neighbors were old friends of Harrison and Blythe, the Cipriano's. They had much in common she thought, too much for her taste. The couples identical minus the type of company's they ran, they were in a different line of business, other than that they were cut of the same cloth, caring for no one but themselves and their precious status. Unfortunately both couples had felt the need to bring children into the world for the wrong reasons, first they would have an heir for their company. The second was because at the time it was the 'thing to do' since it completed the picture on the Christmas cards they sent out each year, you know the one's with the perfect husband, wife and two kids. It disgusted Clista, not the children, she was thankful for them, just not the reason they were here. Children needed good attentive parents who showed them love and affection. Nick would roll over in his grave and teach his boy a lesson if he knew how things had turned out. Clista did all she could for her granddaughters knowing they would be left to nanny's to be raised when she wasn't available so she gave up much of her life to spend time with the girls. Not that she minded, not at all since she'd always loved kids, they made her feel youthful and gave her back her spunk and the love she had missed since Nick's untimely passing all those years before. They offered entertainment and offered her back a good dose of humor, watching Nora and Vee grow and play was the perfect way to spend her days and had the added pleasure of her watching them drive Blythe nearly insane when they didn't act according to her expectations. Blythe wanted them dressed and behaved perfectly all the time, especially in the presence of company. In the most part they were excellent girls thanks to Clista, but she couldn't help but chuckle at the time they gave her daughter-in-law a run for her money.

Today was a gorgeous summer day perfect for the kids to all play together outside. Clista wasn't sure about these Cipriano boys yet knowing the trouble boys could be and these two had basically been raised by nannies so far to her understanding. With her protectiveness this made her extra cautious looking for any signs of trouble.

Harrison and Blythe had Vee was five years older than her little sister Nora who was five. The Cipriano boys conveniently were the same age as the girls. Patch Cipriano was a couple of months older than Vee and even at the tender age of ten the boy was a looker and could charm a snake and sell ice cubes to an Eskimo. He was charming and handsome with his raven black hair that was kept just a little bit long so that it curled at the nape of his neck, his eyes where sharp and slate black, darker than a million secrets stacked on top of each other and that scared Clista. His smile promised trouble with a capital T. She wasn't to sure yet if she liked him, she didn't want him being a bad influence on her grand kids, it was nice to have neighbors their age to play with though. The youngest Cipriano was Rixon, he was a handsome boy like his brother with blue-black hair and well-mannered, but again Clista had a feeling he had the potential to be trouble too. With looks like these two they were going to be heart breakers when they were older, she just didn't want those hearts to be Vee or Nora's. She did have a soft spot for them already though since these boys futures were already planned like her granddaughters, they were expected to take over their family's business like it or not when they became adults, no freedom in that much to the disgust of Clista.

Even at this age every school and class these kids took was handpicked with precision for both bragging rights and entrances to top colleges and universities that their parents fully intended on selecting for them.

Rixon was one month older than little Nora and if Clista knew anything about Blythe, which she did, she would bet her fortune Blythe had their wedding already mapped out. It wasn't long after thinking that that she would hear a conversation between her and the boys mom, Artlett, planning the future of the two youngest children. What could be better for the both of them then to have their kids merge the company's incurring more wealth and prestige for them and their future family's, more money than they could ever spend and definitely didn't deserve. Blythe was spoiled enough and by the looks of things so was Artlett. Clista set her mind to fight tooth and nail for these kids, when the time came for them to choose their futures and their partners, if they choose to have them, she would be there to insist they were with someone they truly loved and they would follow their own hearts in all that they did instead of caving to what their parents expected of them. In the meantime she would sit back and enjoy the time she got to watch them play carefree without their meddling parents. It was a sight that warmed Clista's heart, one that she wished Nick was there to enjoy along with her.

It was Clista who would get up each morning and head over to her son's house to make her granddaughter their favorite breakfast and drive them to school. Nora loved chocolate chip pancakes and bacon while Vee liked eggs with cheese and sausage and a big glass of chocolate milk with hers. It made Clista smile to see how close the girls were in spite of all their differences.

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><p><strong>As I said, this starts off slow, you will learn a lot more later about who Blythe Grey, Nora's mom, in the chapter Facts Of Our Lives especially. Again, many of you won't like the way Nora comes across, you can either try later chapters or move on. If you don't like the story I understand, find something you do like, if you're not sure scan ahead, if you have positive feed back or constructive criticism please let me know. Huge thank you to all who read and all who review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2- BEST FRIENDS

_**CHAPTER 2**_

_**BEST FRIENDS & PROTECTION, LOVE & DEVOTION**_

_**HOW IT ALL BEGAN**_

**A few weeks had passed since the Cipriano's had moved in and the boys were now a permanent fixture at the Grey estate. The funny thing was things weren't going the way Clista had originally thought they would. She had come to simply adore young Patch, how could she not when the ten year old had taken little Nora under his wing and protected her like a best friend and big brother and not an annoyance. He had even managed to befriend Vee who, until the Cipriano boys had moved in, thought boys were 'utterly disgusting'. Rixon was there right along side Patch, but Clista had already noticed some sibling rivalry brewing over her youngest granddaughter whom Rixon had a little crush on that big brother Patch did NOT approve of for his friend. Even at the age of five Clista knew that the look Nora wore whenever Patch was around spelled love and devotion of the more than a friend kind for later in life. It was as if Patch were the answer to every question. Yes, that girl was destined to fall hard one day when she discovered boys were useful as more than just friends and if Patch kept wearing the same expression she had when he was spending time with her. Patch had a face that other than promising trouble was virtually unreadable. By the age of ten his life had been so tightly controlled that he had perfected the art of masking all feelings and emotions. That made Clista's heartache for the young Cipriano.**

**Patch and Nora became vast and true best friends, they had the kind of relationship that most adults weren't capable of cultivating. Patch and Vee were the same age, but it was Rixon entertaining Vee and Patch looking out for Nora if they all four weren't together. **

**As time passed and the kids got a little older Clista watched as Nora latched herself onto Patch's leg or back or simply followed him wherever he went. Now that she had knew the Cipriano boys she knew had no worries that Patch would hurt Nora, instead she knew that Nora was safest with him. He took his job as her guardian very seriously.**

**The children had grueling schedules for their young ages. The boys parents had them enrolled in martial art classes. Both Patch and Rixon were already showing peak physical shape and winning all of their competitions. Every season they were expected to participate in whatever the current sport was, they were always on a team of some sort whether it be football or baseball or something else. All four kids were expected to learn an instrument and at least one other language, not counting Italian that the Cipriano family spoke when at home. Their son's were fluent in both English and Italian and spoke both with beautiful accents and perfect pronunciation, never overlapping the languages when talking. They were eloquent and flawless, just how they were expected to be.**

**Patch played the guitar and Nora could sit for hours listening to him and when they thought no one was watching them she would hear one or both of them singing quietly. They never sang for anyone else, just for each other which was a real shame since both had natural talent for it. It was probably for the best anyhow Clista thought, once their parents heard them they'd be twisting that for their own benefit and scheduling the already over booked kids for more things to draw attention to them as if they were the worlds best parents.**

**Later Clista noticed she was spending more time focusing on caring for Vee and Rixon while Patch catered to Nora. He walked her to and from her school bus each day rain or shine, then he sat with her as she did her homework after he made her an after school snack. He helped her understand anything she struggled with, that wasn't much since all four kids were exceptionally smart. Vee had the hardest time in school. Their parents didn't deserve any of the credit for their school success, but that didn't stop them from claiming they did. Patch even sat through cartoons with Nora when he had long since outgrown them. As serious as he was about his job taking care of his little friend they still had a lot of fun together. Clista had to laugh at the memory of the day Blythe had dressed the girls all up for church service, demanding they not do anything to ruin their expensive dresses or embarrass her. Vee liked clothes and dressing up but her little sister didn't and just as Clista had suspected when she first met Patch he was every bit the mischief maker she thought he was. Patch knew that Nora hated dresses and that she would follow him anywhere so when he thought no one was looking he lead her unaware to a big mud hole behind their house and just like he knew she would Nora jumped right in after him church dress and all. To say that her daughter-in-law was furious would have been the understatement of the century! When Blythe turned her back Clista had a good laugh at the sneaky and creative way Patch had 'helped' his best friend out of the outfit she despised. Blythe blamed the older boy for being a bad influence, which he had been, but Clista knew the whole time that Nora had willingly jumped in after Patch. She also knew that he had gone into it knowing he would take the blame and keep Nora from being in trouble so Clista just smiled and kept their secret. Not even Patch knew she had witnessed the whole transgression. They would be the only one's who knew the truth about the day the dress met the mud puddle. Clista just wasn't the type of grandma to tattle, after all what is a secret if it's shared and what the kids didn't know, or Blythe for that matter, didn't hurt them. It wasn't like he pushed Nora in front of a car.**

**Around the same time Patch took an interest in learning to make Italian food from his family's professional Italian chef. He took Patch under his wing tutoring him in the fine art of cooking. It wasn't long before Patch could put his mentor to shame in the kitchen. As soon as he had become competent Patch had taken over cooking and feeding the other three kids. Clista enjoyed the break as she sat back with a smooth glass of wine and watched her grandchildren interact with each other. It was Patch who could get Nora to eat her vegetables when no one else could get her to even try a sliver of them. All the threats and punishments in the world from her parents hadn't made a damn bit of difference.**

**Patch and Nora, Vee and Rixon were dragged from party to party from event to event as their parents were at the pinnacle of who's who among the socialites, partly because Clista was a descendant of one of the family's that formed the town of Coldwater Creek and even though she had money at her disposal her and Nick had made their living on their own in their own way building their own empire together. That didn't stop her from being known in the community as one of the few with "old money", she was easily the wealthiest in the entire area. In her opinion these activities were just set up as excuses to drink from an open bar and try and outdo each other through 'entertaining stories' of their lives that were really only a form of bragging while appearing friendly with each other. Clista was forced to watch as the young one's she tended to were treated like trophy's in a case by their parents that they would leave to collect dust until the next gathering where they would bring them out and show them off before placing them back to be ignored until the next time. The only reason she even attended these things was to keep an eye on her young troops.**

**When puberty hit for young Patch and kids his age he had girls falling all over themselves trying to get to him just as Clista had predicted. She nicknamed him 'stud'. At thirteen he could lay on the charm with the ladies already. (Clista schooled him on what was acceptable boundaries of behavior with girls)He was winning the attention and admiration of all of his classmates. At his age younger siblings or kids were 'uncool', but Patch convinced his closest friends that Nora needed to be with them because it helped them pick up girls by showing how well they looked after and cared for their "little sister". Nora didn't mind, she wasn't interested in boys yet, she us wanted to be with HER PATCH. When she was older the girls that took an interest in Patch knew that little Nora, HIS ANGEL, would come first. They didn't really mind at the time as long as they got a date with the hottest guy ever and often times Nora would find herself helping them with their hair or make-up for their dates with Patch since she knew what he liked better than anyone.**

**Around the age of six Nora started having horrible nightmares of drowning in a car going through a bridge guardrail over Coldwater Creek. It wasn't so much a creek as it was a fast flowing river, the name was deceiving. She would be screaming and crying, gasping for air and nothing Clista or Vee could do seemed to calm her. Almost like clockwork when Clista would stay in one of the guest bedrooms she would be woken to Nora's nighttime hell and she would hold her while her granddaughter sobbed and sobbed. Clista begged Harrison and Blythe to take her to a Doctor about them, but they said it would look bad on them for one of their children to be seen at a 'head doctor'. She was not to mention to anyone ever about it including them. The subject was closed. After a week of sleeping all the way through the night, which she hadn't done in ages with Nora, Clista wondered what had changed to stop the night terrors from tormenting her poor granddaughter. That night she left the little girls door slightly ajar to see if she was doing anything different from her normal routine. It was then that she discovered that it was non other than the tough young stud from next door that was doing the trick. Patch 'the bad boy' Capriano with a reputation for being hardcore had another soft side brought out by 'His Angel'. He bought a stuffed elephant of the softest material for her to cuddle with and wrapped her blanket around them holding her close to him as she slept. Who would have thought the eternal stud liked to cuddle? They had pajamas on so after checking repeatedly through the night for two weeks with them unaware she hadn't ever seen anything inappropriate or concerning, hell, Nora was still only seven years old. She had already trusted him to watch over her and after the two weeks was up she kept to herself what was going on just thankful her granddaughter was finally getting a full night sleep. That didn't stop her irritation that it was the next door neighbors son who was only five years older then Nora tucking her in, holding her and comforting her to calm her and make her feel safe instead of her own parents. It was incomprehensible. He was the only one who had been successful at it, but her own parents hadn't even tried. Even as they grew into adults if he wasn't next to her already, no matter what he was doing or who he was with he would rush to Nora's side to help her no matter the time of night. All she had to do was call or text and he would be on his way. All these little things that the young Cipriano did piled up inside Clista. She made her opinion known loud and clear repeatedly to her son and his wife about their lack of parenting. **

**If one thing could be said by those privileged enough to be friends with Clista Grey it was that she was one hell of a fire cracker. She was fierce and loyal, she put those she loved and admired above herself with no regards to their financial or social status. She may have been the wealthiest in Coldwater Creek but she was also one of the kindest to those earning it. She spoiled her staff that helped keep her home and charity work afloat. Her sizable donations made her the top donor for all worthy causes in the community and although everyone suspected it was her, few new for sure since she gave anonymously. She loved with passion and fire and her beauty for her age made women half her age jealous. She had long reddish brown hair and brilliant and wise green eyes. Her skin was creamy and her cheeks naturally had a soft blush. Her lips were curved perfectly and neither too full or too thin. She didn't wear make-up, she didn't need to. More important than all of that was how intelligent she was, she wasn't all looks and no brain. Long after her husband had passed and her son had taken over she was still using her share of money to invest and her smart investments earnings went directly into donations to charities supporting things like local food banks and medical care for those in need who didn't have insurance. She supported the local children programs and numerous others. The people who knew her best would describe her as having a great sense of humor, she was witty, charming, not easily offended and she spoke what was on her mind. If you asked her something she was sure as hell going to tell you what she thought honestly, no holding back. She often told what Blythe called "tasteless sexual jokes" or made flirty remarks and innuendo's, mainly to piss her daughter-in-law off. The other reason she did was that she was a firm believer in the fact that just because her age said she was old she wasn't dead. She was one of the influences on Patch's naughty side, how could she not be when she set the example by having such a wicked sense of humor. **

**Clista never would take another man in her life, Nick had been 'it' for her and she had cherished each and every moment with him. Their love had been like no other, all consuming and timeless, the kind that endured whatever life threw their way. No matter how hard he worked, how big their business grew, her and Harrison were ALWAYS first. He spent a lot of quality time with them, something their only child didn't do with his own children much to her shame and dismay. One of the reason's she was so involved with all four children was to role model that kind of love. She wanted for them each what she had with the girls decease grandfather. A love that you only got by following your heart, something she would time and again drive into their heads.**

**Harrison usually quietly sat back and let his wife control everything but his business, at least the part that was nuts and bolts. Even without the involvement of either Harrison and Blythe or Mr. and Mrs. Capriano, Clista grew prouder by the day of all of her grand kids, the boys were now firmly hers in her eyes as well as the girls. Despite their parents and all the pressure mounted on them, they were there for each other in ways their parents weren't. If Nora was picked on by a girl, Vee was there to set them straight, if a boy picked on her they would deal with the wrath of Patch. There was an unspoken understanding that Nora was Patch's Nora, HIS Angel. It wasn't meant in a boyfriend girlfriend way, it was a you mess with her you mess with me her big brother and her best friend way. They were a package deal. They were true best friends in every sense of the word. The older they got the more of a rock they became for each other. The depth of their friendship was known by the whole town and many adults marveled at how intensely they protected each other and cared for each other with such a large age difference. They were there for Vee and Rixon and the four were often together, but when it came down to it they split in two. Vee and Rixon being best friends and Patch with Nora.**

**Patch and Nora celebrated each others achievements and their heartaches together. When one got a good grade on something they had worked hard on or achieved something they had been involved in it was to each other they ran to celebrate, not their parents. When a school grade or contest placement didn't meet their parents standards or expectation in any activity, they would comfort each other through it, building each other back up after their parents had torn them down.**

**In middle school when Nora's cat was ran over Vee felt horrible for her little sister. Rixon who was harboring a crush on young Nora couldn't find it in himself to care much over a dead cat and didn't really understand why it hurt her so much. He cared about her not some stupid cat. It was Patch who held her while she cried and dug the hole and officiated the funeral for Snuggles before placing a headstone he made for her cat on the grave for her.**

**When Patch was fifteen he got his license and his first car, a sleek 1970 black Dodge Charger with tinted windows, all mint interior and exterior work with a souped up engine and blower. It screamed bad boy as it purred and he babied it. When he should have been hanging out with his friends he was driving Nora to and from school and when he could have been out partying or running around he was more often then not curled up on the couch with Nora watching her favorite shows or tucking her in for the night just like he'd been doing for years. No matter who he took out at any age, junior high or high school it didn't matter, the girl always new that HIS Nora, HIS Angel, would ALWAYS come first. **

**Clista knew at the time she could relax, that Patch was more of a dad and a big brother then Harrison would ever be. All of the kids had other friends outside of each other, not just each other. Patch's closest guy friends were the Salvo brothers, Angelo and Zuriel. Nora's closest friends were Bella and Shadow. **

**The girls had been together since preschool so they spent a lot of time together unless Patch was around. They had an awkward relationship, Patch and Nora's girl friends. The young girls had crushes on him and he teased them relentlessly. The older Bella got the more she disapproved of his wild ways. Shadow was shy around him. He nicknamed them Grumpy and Bashful after the Seven Dwarfs since they were short and he thought the names amusing and accurate. He hadn't really been taught to accept anyone else or love them, hell his own parents hadn't offered him that, the only people who had outside of his brother were his neighbors. He just didn't care what anyone else thought outside his 'family'. His family meaning grandma Clista, his brother Rixon, his friend Vee and of course his Angel. Anyone else was of little consequence aside from his friendships with the Salvo brothers. His attitude towards Bella and Shadow would get much worse in their later years and it eventually drove a wedge between Nora and the two girls for a few months.**

**In middle school Bella had talked Nora into skipping class and going to the mall, don't ask how he knew but boy was Nora and Bella surprised to come out of the bathroom after 'freshening up' to find Patch leaning on the wall casually waiting for them before marching them to the car and back to school. He always seemed to know where his Angel was and what she was up to and that was something that wasn't likely to change.**

**Patch wasn't the only protective one or even the only one to worry. When he got his license and would go on dates Nora would stay up with her little bedside lamp on watching from her window for his car to pull into the circular drive before disappearing into the garage and then for his bedroom light to turn on so she would know he made it home safe and he never did let her know that the whole time he knew she was watching. Knowing she was still awake he would make his way over to her house to tuck her in, going along with her excuse for still being up because she was reading and hadn't noticed the time. Sometimes she made up a different story so it sounded more believable, to her that is. **

**Things between them stayed much the same as Nora got older. Whenever she was feeling scared he was still the one she text, the one who always came. He was always exactly what she needed him to be. He knew her better than he knew himself and Nora understood him better than anyone including him. They were like magnets constantly drawn to each other, when one moved the other moved in perfect sync. **

**Patch turned out to be the ladies man Clista had always suspected he would be when he was a teenager, her "stud" she had so aptly named all those years ago. He dated girl after girl the older he got older. There wasn't a girl in town that wouldn't give everything they had to be seen out with Patch, even for a night. The town's "cougars" weren't any better, trying to pick him up for a night of recreational fun. He still had his silky black hair that gave midnight a run for its money with matching intelligent black obsidian eyes that took in everything and gave away nothing framed with long thick black eyelashes. His sharp Italian features and aristocratic nose were off set against his tan skin complexion. His body was tall, over 6'2 at age sixteen. He had a hard lean build with well defined muscles that bore several souvenir scars from street fights he had been in as a teenager. He could write a book about 'How To Radiate Sexy Without Trying' and he was the perfect example of a bad boy. His smile spoke of hidden dangers and unmentionable promises. He looked every bit as scary and intimidating as he did hot. He wasn't the boy you brought home to mother expecting her to welcome him with open arms, he was the type of boy that mothers took one look at and changed the locks on the house. Dad's kept loaded guns by the front door to greet guys like him interested in their daughters. None of it made a difference to Clista or Nora, they saw a side only they knew about. If anything, his physical appearance and famed reputation as a teenager made him safer for Nora, no one would mess with her knowing they'd be messing with the likes of him. When he wasn't at Nora's side he was at Bo's arcade betting on cards or games of pool. No amount of trouble he could get into would keep the girls away from him. He had a trademark sexy smirk that made ladies everywhere swoon and he had a habit of making sexual innuendos and jokes, his constant flirty comments could make a sailor blush. His ego was the size of a house, but his heart was far bigger and made of gold, just because others didn't always see it didn't mean that it wasn't there. It just wasn't there for them.**

**When Nora hit puberty her body started to change along with her friends, the boys around her took notice. It didn't fail to catch Patch's eye either since he now had a full time job of going behind her back threatening and dealing with boys who found her new body all too interesting for his over protective taste. He was a model big brother. Nora truly was beautiful with killer legs that seemed to go on for miles and as she got older she had what the boys called a perfect little ass and her back had the cute little dimples at the bottom of her spine. She had a lean build with just enough meat on her bones to give her body a soft and sexy curvy look unlike Vee who wasn't obese but she did have more curves than a roller coaster, the pastries and junk food she insisted on eating didn't help. Nora had creamy skin that felt satiny soft with her grandma's natural pink cheeks and sexy curvaceous mouth that didn't need make-up to look gorgeous. Her eyes were smoky gray and would lighten and darken with her mood. They were lined with generous black lashes. They were the kind of eyes that a guy could get lost in and never say no to. Her eyebrows were perfectly arched over them. Her face was framed with a cascade of sometimes unruly curls that she claimed often held up to the very best of flatirons. It was brown with natural red highlights that shined and reflected light. Patch often teased her that it couldn't get redder if he held a match to it. When she smiled it brightened her whole face and the cute little dimples she had would make an appearence. As beautiful as she was on the inside she was as insecure as the next teenage girl. **

**Her body made her attractive to boys long before boys became attractive to her. This set her apart since other girls her age were interested in dating. Bella and Shadow forced her to try dating unsuccessfully. What did she need boys for? She had her best friend Patch if she wanted to hang around with boys. She really didn't understand her friends falling all over themselves to be noticed by him either, she just wasn't into boys yet, not even Rixon, whom their parents were still trying to arrange a marriage for her with. That thought excited Rixon, but made Nora pale and sick to her stomach. She liked Rixon, but she had no interest whatsoever in marrying him. To Nora, Patch was just plain 'ole Patch. Even when she woke up earlier than usual one morning with Patch curled around her in their usual way and she felt a certain part of his anatomy awake before he did she still thought nothing of him beyond friendship. When he woke up he quickly excused himself to shower and nothing was said about the incident. As Nora and Patch continued to mature they started to take notice and to adjust to finding each others bodies attractive enough to check each other out but never crossing the line. It was just that though, taking notice and moving on. Things between them weren't sexual, they were still just as much family as friends at that point.**

**By the time that Nora really did take an interest in boys and understand 'boy fever' she had subconscious already accepted that the love of her life had and would always and forever be Patch, but it was buried in the back drop for later discover when they had experienced other things together, things that for them that would have life altering consequences for them both. **

**Nora had grown up watching Patch take out a different girl almost every weekend so she never really worried about anyone coming between them. He hadn't given his heart to anyone, not even close so when she started to become aware that her feelings for him ran far deeper than friendship it still didn't cross her mind to be concerned. She was confident that if she didn't already own it his heart would would be hers in the future. Clista was there observing it all and saw caution signs flashing ahead, but she couldn't predict the future, and how do you prepare the kids you love for things you don't know will happen?**


	3. Chapter 3 - THE BEGINNING OF CHANGE

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_**CHAPTER 3**_

_**THE BEGINNING OF CHANGE**_

**Nora burst through the Cipriano's door, almost shouting her excitement, "Rixon, have you heard that our school is going to organize a dance competition? Since Rixon attended school with her and Patch had graduated so it made sense to her that she ask Rixon to be her partner. She knew he was always looking to spend extra time with her and even though she knew she was fighting a losing battle, she'd never love him the way she did Patch, she felt she should give the younger brother a chance. **

"**Vee told me about it this afternoon. She's wants to do it together, she's going to ask Scott. I told her that of course I would enter!" She was positively sparkling with anticipation. **

**Rixon, however, was quick to burst her happy little bubble. "Nora, you know I loathe doing things like that. I don't want to show off for a bunch of people I could care less about. Plus, I'm not the dancing kind of guy, I'm tougher than that." His voice made it clear the idea disgust him.**

**Nora's face fell, she had known, but she had been so sure she would be able to overcome his objections since he would be spending one on one time with her separate from Patch.**

"**You've danced with me before at school dances and at the towns pageant." How could he be okay with that and not this? It didn't make sense. Couldn't he see how much she wanted to do this? He should be jumping at the chance.**

"**Yeah, but those were all slow dances. This I'd have to be drunk to take part in and I don't think you want me drinking before a dance competition." Rixon tried reasoning with her, the truth was he had only danced at the high-school dances to let the other guys know he'd staked claim and the same thing held true for the pageant. He was sending a clear and possessive message to everyone that she belonged to him even if she hadn't agreed to dating...Yet. He was also hoping she'd let go of the pipe-dream he knew she harbored for his big brother and that his brother would back off and give him a chance. When it came to Nora she was the wedge between them, she always had been. They were close until she was brought up or present.**

**Nora looked at the floor dejectedly, "You didn't even ask what kind of dance competition it's going to be..." She mumbled, "So how can you be so sure you wouldn't like it? It might be fun." **

**Patch was disgusted with his little brothers reaction. "Go on, Rixon, this is your chance! Why don't you do it? Can't you see she really wants you to?" What the hell was he being so unreasonable for? He'd been trying to get Nora since they were five!**

**Rixon whirled around. He'd totally forgotten that Patch was still there and listening to the conversation. He snarled at him, "Don't you dare meddle between Nora and me, Patch! It's none of your business anyway."**

**Patch rolled his eyes in annoyance. Was Rixon really so dense? He looked at Nora, standing there so forlorn, she was trying to hold back tears at his brothers' callous refusal. She'd been so elated when she'd practically taken the door off the hinges in her rush to ask him. It hurt Patch to see her like this, the radiance that had been in her eyes earlier almost dimmed into complete disappearance. It must really mean a lot to her to take part in this thing, couldn't Rixon see that and put her first?**

**Patch sighed, trying again. "Rixon, if it's that important to Nora, surely you can make an exception."**

**They were pushing him in a direction he didn't want to go thought Rixon. He didn't want to do something like this: a public performance where he would lose his man card was just not his thing. He hated being put on display and dancing was girly. Nora would understand if she gave it some thought. But then Patch had to interfere. He rounded on his brother, barking at him. "If you think it's that important to Nora, why don't you oblige her? All though I'm sure she's not going to want to take you since you're ****_five_**** years older than her!"**

**Patch didn't answer immediately, instead glancing over at Nora. When she looked at him, he lifted one eyebrow inquiringly, silently asking her what she wanted him to do. Their eyes held for an infinite moment, gray meeting black.**

**Finally she nodded and with a subdued voice answered her friends unspoken question. "Thank-you, Patch. I think I will take you up on your offer..."**

**Nora turned around, and quickly left, shutting the door firmly behind her. Rixon was stunned she'd actually take Patch, sure they were best friends, but he was so much older. Why would Patch even agree to this?**

**As they walked into the school gym, Nora spoke up. "Vee is very excited about this salsa teacher. Apparently she's from Cuba, she's the very best . They only got her to come here because she's judging another competition in the area and the Mayor and his wife offered her a place to stay. Apparently she's bored with hotels."**

**Patch followed behind her, wrinkling his nose at the penetration odor of sweaty socks that permeated the gym. It was only a lesson, it wouldn't last long and he'd put up with a lot worse for the sake of his best friend. Anytime spent with her would no doubt more than make up for that awful smell. He knew she enjoyed his company as much as he enjoyed hers. He'd been so busy with college and traveling since graduating that they hadn't had nearly enough time together.**

**He was startle out of his contemplation when a sultry voice exclaimed. "Dios mio, if it's not Patch Cipriano!"**

**Patch looked up, greeting her with a devilish grin. "Karlotta! I should have known it would be you when I was told they had found the very best salsa dancer..."**

**Nora had stopped walking when she saw the woman the voice belonged to: she was a petite woman with luscious curves and a wealth of glossy dark ringlets that cascaded down her back. She had to be the salsa teacher. Nora remembered Vee telling her she was Cuban, but this woman had nearly translucent porcelain, contrasting sharply with her auburn hair, bottomless black eyes and sensuous red lips. In short, she was absolutely stunning.**

**The woman walked up to Patch (no, Nora thought with a pang of jealousy, she didn't just walk, she swayed! Was it any wonder that every male eye in the room was glued to her sensuous undulating backside? Especially since she was dressed in a skirt so short it could hardly be called decent!)**

**She snaked her arms around Patch's neck, murmuring in her accented English. "It's so good to see you! I have missed you since your visit! I would never have thought to find you here of all places, in this little speck of a town on the devil's backside."**

**Patch was tall and he had to lean down when she pulled him into a kiss. Well, Nora thought sourly, that made it clear what kind of relationship there had been between them on his vacation. As if she had any doubts, especially if this was the 'sizzling hot teacher with a tasty sex drive' Patch had bragged about. His Angel or not she hadn't gotten used to his sex drive with other women since puberty had finally hit her. She knew he'd always told her she would come first and as his best friend she'd always believed him, but still...**

**Nora turned her head away from where little miss Karlotta proceeded to prove just how much she had missed 'her Patch', and saw Vee standing at the back of the room next to Scott. Vee lifted her eyebrow, silently asking whether Nora had known that Patch was well acquainted with the salsa teacher. Nora simply shrugged, answering without words that she hadn't known, nor did she care. Not in the least she told herself.**

**Patch finally succeeded in untangling himself from her the very enthusiastic Karlotta. She didn't release him though; she just hooked her arm through his, looking up at him from under her lashes. "Now, it's very fortunate for me that you are here, Juan has broken his leg. The silly man fell off a horse, he had no business getting on one in the first place!" **

**Patch frowned. "Who is Juan, and is there a particular reason I should care what happened to him?"**

**Karlotta tapped his wrist with her fan, and said flirtatiously, "Of course you should not care about Juan! It is just that he was my dance partner to show some of the steps. I almost had to resort to picking one of these boys." She stood on her tiptoes so she could whisper in his ear, but loud enough for everyone to hear her stage whisper. "That makes you an angel and the answer to my prayers."**

**Nora had enough. She approached them and with her voice laced in belligerence let them know what she thought. "Now wait just one second! You can't just walk in here and steal my dance partner!" Her insecurity suddenly shocking her. Since when had she ever had been so insecure with Patch? She was his Angel and it had and always would be that way. Right?**

**The dance instructor raked her eyes over Nora, and by the look on her face, apparently found her wanting. "And who are you?" She asked disdainfully.**

**Nora opened her mouth charged with a heated retort, but Patch intervened. With a meaningful look at Nora, he said. "Karlotta, this is my dance partner, Nora Grey. She's one of your students, so you can't just deprive her of her dance partner. How would she learn about the most fantastic dance in the world, now that she has such a wonderful salsa dancer like you for a teacher? Besides, I'm sure the other boys here would like to dance with you as well. It wouldn't be fair to them if I took all of your time and attention for myself." He lifted his eyebrows expectantly.**

**The irony in Patch's voice wasn't lost on Nora, but Karlotta obviously didn't pick up on it. She seemed mollified by what seem to Nora too obvious flattery. "You are right of course. I shall just have to show the steps with you, and then make use of the left-footed oafs for the rest of the time."**

**The dance teacher turned on her heels, (how did she do that without breaking her ankles, Nora thought, they were at least five inches high) and walked over to the open space that was their dance floor. Then she gave Patch a come-hither look. He looked at Nora apologetically and shrugged.**

"**You won't needing that." The dance instructor purred, stripping him of his black leather jacket. She took full advantage of every opportunity she could to get her hands on him, Nora thought with a frown.**

"**To give you an idea of the wonderful dance that is salsa, I shall first show how it should look when done properly." She said to no one in particular and glided into Patch's arms, moving to stand very close to him. Everybody slowly gathered around in a big circle.**

**When the music with its heady salsa rhythm started up, the couple in the middle of the floor seemed to still, before suddenly whirling into action. Nora surprised herself by thinking that Patch looked like a sleek black panther, moving through the figures dancing with a predator's grace. The way he confidently steered Karlotta's curvy body through the complicated twists and turns made it seem so effortless, but Nora was sure she would never meet that level of perfection no mater that she had taken dance classes from the time she could walk.**

**He had once teased her about having moves she'd never seen, he hadn't been exaggerating when he'd bragged she realized. Just looking at them made her feel kind of hot and tingly inside...**

**Up until this point she hadn't really thought seriously about being more than friends with Patch. She hadn't liked the sexual relationships he had once her hormones had kicked in, she just assumed that was natural and didn't put much weight into it. Watching him now though, she was just starting to discover feelings buried inside of her, that her love for Patch was far more than that of a best friend or big brother...and that had the potential for causing some big problems. Something Clista had long been aware of.**

**Nora's eyes stayed glued to Patch's powerful body throughout the dance, she found herself inadvertently admiring the way his biceps flexed, the way the muscles in his back moved under his form-fitting maroon Henley, and the way his tight black jeans molded to his fantastic butt.**

**You're being a bad girl, Nora Grey, she reprimanded herself, you aren't allowed to ogle a guy that way when he's your best friend you've known since you were five. He obviously doesn't feel the same way for you and besides, Patch was just naturally a flirt she reminded herself. It's not the first time you've saw it and it won't be the last. She had to admit he was good at it, no, that was an understatement of the century, he was a master at flirting and getting what he wanted with the women. **

**When the music finally came to a glorious finale Patch twirled Karlotta out in a dazzling spin that sent her curls flying and had her laughing delightfully as Nora took note of everybody staring, equally entranced.**

**When her eyes alighted on Vee, Vee looked slightly dazed. Then the crowd started clapping and whistling their appreciation. Vee made her way over to where Nora was standing.**

"**Nora, you sly little thing, pretending you asked Patch because Rixon wouldn't do it. You almost had me feeling sorry for you. Well that's ancient history now, babe!"**

**Nora blushed slightly. "Hey, I really did ask Rixon first. He didn't want to...lower himself like this." She wisely refrained from mentioning that he was probably going to change his mind once he realized it would be another perfect opportunity for him pressure her into the marriage their parents were so eager for them to have. Vee couldn't understand the dynamics of the relationship she had with the Cipriano brothers, she was friends with both, Rixon and her were very close but she wasn't a huge fan of Patch. She didn't like the way he was constantly flirting and his ego was so huge. She couldn't help but be protective of her little sister, she had long suspected like their grandma that Nora's feeling ran deeper than just friends and with all the time they'd spent together over the years of growing up all she saw was heartbreak ahead for her sister. "Besides, when I asked Patch, I really had no idea that he knew how to do this..." Nora finished.**

**Vee looked at her skeptically. "He doesn't just know how to do this. The way he moved just now..." She glanced over at Scott who was standing a few feet away talking to a classmate, and whispered to Nora. "...that was just plain sinful, like sex on the vertical, right? I'm warning you now so don't say I didn't later when this comes back to bite you in the ass."**

**Nora opened her mouth to protest, but Vee forestalled her. "Nora, don't go denying things that can't be denied! I know you agree with me, I saw the look on your face. You looked at him as if he was an ice cream sundae and you'd been on one of my crash diet's for months!"**

**Nora felt her face flood with heat, but she was spared from composing a believable reply but Karlotta of all people, clapping her hands and asking all the students to stand next to their partner. She would now walk around and show everybody the correct position to start.**

**As she began winding her way through the couples, Nora felt Patch come up behind her without even having to turn around. How was it possible that she felt him move through the room without actually having to see him? That was downright creepy. She temporarily forgot that she had always been able to do that, now it had her so flustered by this 'new discovery' that she froze when he came to stand before her and she stared at him like a frightened animal. Honestly, things had always been this way, them being able to almost read each others minds, but when had the electricity in the air started, and was that sexual tension she was feeling? Like they were on the verge of doing something forbidden and exciting? Good God she was in trouble! Vee was right and knowing Patch's relentless flirting he would use every chance he could to embarrass her and throw her off not realizing the extent of the feelings she herself was just starting to discover.**

"**What's the matter, Nora?" He bent his head and brought his mouth closer to her ear so nobody would here what he was saying. "Don't tell me you've suddenly became afraid of dancing with the devil." He gave her smile that dripped of sex, promises and evil deeds, and then he growled mock-aggressively low in his throat. Nora laughed in spite of herself, instantly feeling better, even if his growl had made her shiver, it most certainly had not been in fear.**

**She lifted her arms and tentatively put her left hand on his upper arm, the way she had seen Karlotta do. Patch took her right hand in his left and his right arm slid around her small waist, his hand coming to rest low on her back, almost on the curve of her derriere. His hand felt like it was burning through her clothes. What was wrong with her? It was just Patch after all!**

**It was no use. She stood there feeling awkward next to him, not daring to look up yet, instead she stared fixedly at his shirt with quite a bit of distance between their bodies. Every time he tried to pull her closer to him she stubbornly refused.**

**Patch lifted one eyebrow, looking down at Nora he gave a slight smile. "You don't like my aftershave? I could always change it next time." He said dryly.**

**When Nora automatically looked up, surprise clearly written on her features, he said with some exasperation. "We're supposed to be dancing Nora. You know, that thing where I get to come real close to you, and it's allowed since it's all part of the dance?" While he was talking, he had been steadily pulling her closer, and closer, and still closer to his body, until their bodies were almost touch and the electricity felt like lightning striking her.**

**When Nora realized how close they were she gasped. "Patch! You can't do this here!"**

**Patch smirked down at her and in a laconic voice asked, "Do what here? If you want to leave and do this in a more private setting, I'm all for it, but we are only going to be dancing, Nora. Or did you have something else in mind perhaps?" Always, always the flirt she thought to herself and embarrassing her was only going to make it worse. How was she ever going to get through this without tipping him off that her feelings were changing, that suddenly her body felt like she was melting beneath his touch when he could practically read her mind!**

**Patch was a bit surprised at Nora's loss of composure. She acted as if she had never danced before, he knew firsthand that wasn't true. What made this so special then? He observed the high color on her cheeks and her shallow breathing with a frown. He really hoped she was wasn't regretting him agreeing to be her partner. He was used to being the one she asked first, for all the love his brother supposedly had for her he hadn't even asked her on a proper date.**

**Karlotta had reached them by now and slowly walked in a circle around them, placing Nora's left hand just so on Patch's upper arm and closing the fingers of her right hand firmly over his. Patch allowed her little adjustments with an indulgent smile and Nora stood up straighter.**

**Finally the instructor seemed satisfied: she looked up at Patch teasingly and whispered, "If you get bored with this little one, just let me know and I will be more than happy to take her place!"**

**Nora bristled at her words. She didn't say anything; she just glared at the brazen woman and blatantly pushed her own body a fraction of an inch closer to Patch's, forgetting for the moment her earlier resistance.**

**When she felt Patch's eyes on her, she looked up at him. He quirked an eyebrow and his eyes held an amused glint. He looked as if he knew exactly what she was doing. She felt a flush of embarrassment stain her cheeks, but she didn't back off. If she was in for a penny, she might as well be in for a pound.**

**Karlotta had moved into the middle of the group and started instructing her students on the basic steps for salsa. Nora had to grudgingly admit that she did seem to be a very good instructor. She even had the clumsiest of the boys trying their best. Maybe that wasn't so surprising after all come to think of it, Nora almost rolled her eyes at her thought.**

**Surprisingly, it turned out to be Nora who had the most trouble getting a feel for the dance. She just couldn't relax into it. She was too conscious of Patch's body almost pressed to hers to be able to concentrate fully on the steps, she found herself continuously stumbling over Patch's feet, and over her own feet, losing the rhythm of the music each time.**

**As soon as she let herself get into the salsa rhythm, she lost it again when she felt his leg sliding in between hers, or his arm brushing her breast when he spun her out. She was sensuously aware of every place on her body that came into contact with his, feeling a tingling sensation wherever they touch, that was definitely in too many places!**

**Soon enough she was so rattled by her own inability to concentrate that she felt herself getting angry. What the was wrong with her? Why couldn't she make this work? It's not like she'd never danced before, she had even danced with Patch. She had always prided herself on being good at it so why couldn't she pull it together?**

**It had to be Patch's fault. At the pageant, which was the last place they had danced together, it had felt completely natural to dance with him, it always had. They had kept a proper distance from each other though. Suddenly dancing with Patch up close and personal like this felt entirely too intimate for friends.**

**That kept her losing her focus and she knew that Patch was puzzled by her behavior. When the lesson was about to end, Nora had to suppress a sigh of relief. It was enough to make her wonder how on earth she was going to go on with the contest if Patch's nearness alone affected her like this. She was berating herself for acting like a foolish teenager when Karlotta popped up again and tapped Patch's arm. He released Nora and she quickly took a step backwards, thankful for a little space.**

**Karlotta put her hand on Patch's chest, leaned in closer and whispered in his ear, unfortunately loud enough for Nora to overhear, "I'm staying at the Mayors estate, I will be here just for one night." She smiled languidly at him and added with a suggestive wink, "You are very welcome to stop by and have a night...cap with me."**

**The shameless hussy, Nora thought, marveling at the audacity of the Cuban's unabashed invitation for an assignation, right under her nose! It wasn't as if Karlotta knew for sure that Nora wasn't Patch's girlfriend, did she? Nora shook her head at the direction her thoughts were taking her.**

**Suddenly she had enough: she was angry at herself for overreacting and very irritated that she was apparently so excruciatingly bad at salsa. She turned her back on Patch and Karlotta and hightailed it out of the gym. She closed the door behind her and sagged against the wall of lockers around the corner with a moan. Hot tears of frustration welled in her eyes.**

**A few minutes later she heard the door of the gym opening again and she knew it would be Patch coming after her. It would be useless for her to run he had always been faster. She closed her eyes, feeling him approaching and she knew the exact moment he was standing in front of her.**

"**Nora?" He inquired softly. "Are you alright?"**

**She opened her eyes. The concern she saw in his eyes was nearly her undoing. Under the overhead fluorescent lights of the hallway his eyes seemed to be almost bottomless pits to his soul pulling her in.**

**To keep herself from breaking down, she burst out. "No, I am not alright! Don't you see that? I'm obviously not cut out to be a salsa dancer! I'll never be able to get it right, I can't even master the basic steps that ****_everyone_**** else did!"**

**Her words heralded the tears to start running down her cheeks. She leaned her head back to hold them in, that only caused them to follow a different path and drip into her ears. It was a distinctly unpleasant feeling. She sniffed loudly.**

**Patch magically produced a black satin handkerchief and presented it to her. Gratefully, she accepted it and dabbed her eyes. The she said the first thing that popped in her head. "Why on earth do you carry a handkerchief? It's not like you ever catch a cold."**

**One corner of his mouth quirked up in that sexy smirk of his, he answered in a teasing tone, "No, indeed I don't, Nora dear! Have I neglected to mention that I'm taking an advanced course in the ancient art of chivalry? First rule is to never leave the house without a handkerchief to rescue teary-eyed damsels-in-distress!"**

**Once again she laughed in spite of herself. Patch's expression turned serious. "Really, Nora, what makes you think you can't dance salsa?"**

**When she immediately opened her mouth to answer him, he gently put one finger to her lips, effectively silencing her. She swallowed her words, gazing at him with big watery eyes, uncomfortably aware of the feel of his finger against her lips. She had the absurd impulse to open her mouth and...No, Nora! What is wrong with you tonight? She scolded herself.**

**The door of the gym opened again and the other contestants spilled out, laughing and talking, breaking the spell between them. Patch hastily withdrew his hand and took a step back, Nora blew her nose. Only then did she realize she had just used Patch's handkerchief and she looked up at him, embarrassed.**

**Patch had already regained his usual aplomb and quipped with a waggle of his eyebrows, "Don't even think you're giving it back to me like that! You can keep it now."**

**Nora suppressed a laugh, just like that, the strange atmosphere between the friends dissipated as if it had never been. Nora wondered afterward if her mind hadn't been playing tricks on her, that she hadn't dreamed the episode.**

**Patch felt Nora still needed some reassurance after bungling the lesson, so he said, "Don't worry about dancing, Nora. You just need to get used to it and practice. It'll all work out just fine. You'll see. Come by the house tomorrow and we'll start all over again."**

**Nora nodded uncertainly.**


	4. Chapter 4 - NO WAY OUT

_**CHAPTER 4**_

_**NO WAY OUT**_

**When Nora woke up the next morning she was immediately dreading the day. It was Saturday, that would mean two whole days with Vee. She was sure Vee had wanted to talk last night after their dance lesson, but she'd pleaded a headache (not really a lie at that point) and made her escape to her room as soon as possible. Vee would undoubtedly have some questions that she wouldn't be comfortable answering.**

**For another thing, she felt positively exhausted, since it had taken her several hours of tossing and turning to fall asleep, asking herself if she shouldn't just give up on the salsa contest. She knew it was kind of strange that she was contemplating giving up so easily. She did love to dance after all, but this was different she told herself. If Patch hadn't been so infernally good at it...they would have been able to laugh and learn together, but now? Her obvious failure in dancing salsa with him made her feel very inadequate. He'd always been perfect at everything he did, infuriating perfect. For once she just wanted to feel on equal ground, that's hard to do when the person your trying to be equal with is so much older than you, more experienced and just plain good at everything he does. Nora decided it would never work, there really was no other reason for her somewhat uncharacteristic decision to give up after only one try. Okay, maybe that was a bit of a lie...**

**With that thought in mind, minus the lying part, she walked over to the Cipriano mansion in the late afternoon, having made up her mind to tell Patch she was giving up on the contest. She would withdraw and if he wanted to stay in, maybe he could find someone else to dance with.**

**Nora walked into the house, abruptly stopping on the threshold to the parlor. The room had undergone a transformation of sorts. Patch had apparently made his preparations for their 'lesson': all their couches and tables had been pushed up to the wall, leaving the middle of the room empty. Even the expensive Persian carpets his parents treasured had been rolled up and placed against the wall, exposing the intricately inlaid wooden floor underneath. He must have finished only recently, because fine dust motes still danced in the late afternoon sunshine that was bathing the room in a diffuse of golden light.**

**Even though she had expected Patch to be around, she still jumped about a foot in surprise when his velvet voice purred in her ear. "So, Nora, are you ready to get all hot and sweaty with me?" He really had no clue...**

**Nora shivered, unsure if it was because of his cool breath against the back of her neck or because of his insinuating words. She turned around, only to find him immediately behind her. Involuntarily she took a step back, forgetting she had stood on the top of the three steps leading down into the parlor. She lost her balance and started to tip backwards when his hand shot out and he grabbed her arm, pulling her forward again.**

**Her momentum cause her to fall against him and she grabbed his navy blue T-shirt to stay upright. He put an arm around her to steady her. "Well, you are certainly enthusiastic to get your hands on me again." He said in a teasing voice. "Mind you, I'm not complaining!" There he is again with the constant flirting she sighed to herself. For the second time since she had walked in the door less than five minutes ago she found herself thinking he really had no idea how close his words were hitting home with her.**

**Nora flushed at her own clumsiness, and maybe a little because of his words as well, and stepped away from him, descending the three little steps to get further away from him so she could think.**

**She turned around, took a deep breath and blurted, "Patch, I don't think I can go on with this, with the salsa dancing, I mean." She hesitated, glancing at him from underneath her lashes to gauge his reaction.**

**Patch wasn't exactly surprised at Nora's change of heart. He suspected that yesterday's dancing lesson had been a serious disappointment to her and he knew she had been taken by surprise by his skill. He was kind of proud of his ability, but then again, Nora should know by now that if he took something on, it was with the intention of mastering it as completely as possible. He didn't believe in doing things halfway. It wasn't as if he had hidden anything from her; she had just taken his boasting to be exactly that: boasting. Which it wasn't, not really.**

**While he was pondering this, he observed her silently. His searching gaze must have unnerved her, because she took a step back and bumped into the wall behind her.**

**Nora was indeed getting nervous with the way Patch kept looking at her; his scrutiny was making her feel as if he could see right into her soul, which had her wondering if he really couldn't read minds occasionally as well as her eyes and face.**

"**Why not?" He finally asked.**

**Nora burst out, "Didn't you see what happened yesterday? I simply can't do it! I thought I could, but I...you..." It had sounded so much more convincing in her head last night and early today, Nora thought, floundering. If she wasn't convinced he wouldn't be. He'd been at her side through too much to not know this was coming.**

**He was at her side in an instant, standing right in front of her, crowding her as usual when he sensed her being weak. There was nowhere left to go because she already had her back pressed to the wall. She swallowed but didn't say anything else.**

**At last he said quietly, "One setback and already you give up? I hadn't pegged you for a coward after all these years, Nora Grey. Not once have I known you to let something beat you."**

**She frowned at the accusation and retorted immediately. "I'm not a coward!"**

**Patch lifted one eyebrow, challenging her. "Then why are you ready to throw in the towel so soon?"**

**When she opened her mouth to repeat what she had said earlier, he went on. "Don't give me that nonsense again about not being able to get it right. I know you're a good dancer." His voice softened. "And I think you could be very good. You just need to give it a chance." He paused and finished meaningfully. "Give me a chance to teach you. That's what best friends are for right, to help each other through their struggles and hardships?"**

**He found he really did want to teach her: it wasn't about winning the contest, that would be a nice bonus of course, but he didn't want to see anything beat her or give her a reason to feel inadequate when their parents did a fine job of that on their own without her belittling herself as well. He was really starting to worry about how she was acting around him. She knew better than anyone that he was much more than what his 'bad boy' image revealed to other people, he strove to always be a better person for her, for his Angel, and he always would.**

**Patch's eyes stayed focused on hers, unblinking, and she couldn't look away from the intense midnight of his gaze that implored her to say yes. His intensity made her strangely uneasy, as if by agreeing she would be setting things in motion that could have unexpected results. She was a bit afraid of that, so she tried reasoning again. "But..."**

**Patch didn't allow her to continue. He couldn't let her think this over too much, or she would find a way to wriggle out of it somehow. Nora was a smart girl. He decided to taunt her a bit, always worked with her before. "Or is there another reason you want to back out of this? The real reason, the one I suspect you're not going to own up to?"**

**His teasing came dangerously close to what she herself didn't want to explore in too much detail at the moment, so she hastily demurred. "No! What other reason could there be?"**

**Patch had a way of either leaving her tongue-tied or infuriated quite often and now would prove to be another one of those times. Smiling lazily he replied to her question. "If you really want me to be explicit..." He knew he was crossing the line, but that didn't stop him. He was famous for pushing boundaries, gambling and going for broke, what he didn't realize at the time was ****_what_**** he might be breaking if he broke something...namely Nora's heart.**

**Nora's sense of unease intensified at that smile, it was a dangerous smile, hinting at things that were better left alone by her. He could not under any circumstances figure out how she was really feeling inside, especially since she hadn't fully figured it out for herself. The only one that ever seemed sure about where her and Patch were headed was her grandma, but could she really believe those things her grandma said about following your heart. It just seemed too easy, and totally cliché to think that her and Patch were somehow destined to be together. That was the stuff that fairy-tales were made of and her life was far from being a fairytale.**

**He put one arm on the wall over her head and leaned in closer to her, his body almost, but not quite touching hers. Nora felt the tiny hairs on her skin stand up in reaction to the electric current that crackled between them. She pushed her back further against the wall in a futile attempt to put some more distance between them.**

**His voice in her ear was very low and dark when he murmured, "Mmm... Let's see. If you were any other girl I'd say it was quite possible that you're scared of what might happen if I got real close to you." He demonstrated by moving closer. "Or if I touch you." His free hand came up and he slowly trailed his knuckle down the side of her throat, his eyes following its movement. For the third time Nora it crossed her mind that he had no idea what he was doing with her physically or emotionally.**

**Patch's eyes came up to her face again and he whispered. "How about if we do get all hot and sweaty? Does the thought make you tremble perhaps?" If he only knew the storm his words were setting off inside of her she thought bitterly. She was fast learning what becoming a woman was all about, hormones and all, this was a classic case of what not to do and how not to feel about one's best friend. Especially when so much of your life depended on them.**

**Even the bitterness couldn't suppress the slight frisson that accompanied the images his words conjured up in Nora's mind as she stared at him, mesmerized by his eyes and the sound of his voice as if it were the first time she'd seen or heard him.**

**She felt herself start to lean in towards him unbidden when he suddenly pulled back and said in a mock businesslike tone. "No. No, surely that can't be the reason. You're not like any other girls and that's why you, my Angel, are my best friend."**

**Nora blushed and swallowed, not trusting her voice enough to speak at the moment, she wordlessly shook her head.**

**Patch smirked and said blithely. "No, of course not. That's what I thought so then you won't mind going ahead with this and letting me teach you to salsa." He pressed his advantage ruthlessly. He had her cornered without even knowing to what extreme.**

**For a moment Nora felt like a mouse that sees the trap irrevocably closing on her. Well, that would teach her to argue with Patch! Still, she was so relieved he wasn't pursuing this touchy matter any further that she was quick to jump on the change of subject. "If you're really sure you can teach me..."**

**Patch snorted. "I'm so sure I'll even make a bet, Nora. Give me two weeks and I'll have you salsa dancing in a grand way. Trust me on that."**

**It gave her a thrill to imagine herself really dancing salsa with him instead of stumbling over her own two feet like some awkward teenager. Nora gave in, saying slowly. "If you really think I can do it, okay then."**

**Patch smiled triumphantly. "If I succeed, I get to choose your dress for the contest." His eyes taking her in and giving nothing away.**

**Nora's eyes widened and she protested. "No, Patch. I can just imagine what that dress will look like!" She could see flashing yellow lights straight ahead warning her of just how dangerous he could be.**

**Patch opened his eyes wide, feigning innocence. "And how would that be?"**

**Nora laughed at what appeared an incongruous look for his face, (Patch, innocent?) and quipped. "Knowing you, entirely inappropriate."**

"**Nora, Nora! Get your thoughts out of the gutter please." Patch said mock-severely and wagged his finger at her. "I do have a sense of propriety, you know. And although you can feel free to model the kinds of dress your imagining now, I do know what would be proper for a dance contest. Give me some credit!" He lifted his eyebrows and she colored. "Plus, your my Angel and I will always guard and protect you, wouldn't want you exposing too much and giving boys the wrong idea, Rixon couldn't handle the competition now could he? Agreed?" He added with a wink and another smirk to top it off.**

"**Hey, wait a minute, who's going to judge that?" Nora protested. "Don't think I'm letting you decide if you won the bet or not! Especially not if my choice of dress is contingent upon that decision!"**

**Patch put his hand over his heart dramatically and drawled. "You wound me with your distrust, fair Nora." Then he smiled roguishly and added. "But you are right of course. At least in this instance. So...how about if we let Grumpy be the judge of my skills as a salsa teacher?"**

"**Bella? Yes, I suppose I could live with that." Nora felt safe knowing that Bella would surely take her side in this. "Okay Patch, you're on!"**

**Patch smiled victoriously, later Nora would realize that they hadn't even discussed the possibility that he might lose his bet...**

**Patch didn't dare give Nora any more time to reconsider, so he held out his hand to her and said. "How about we get started then?"**

**Nora looked slightly taken aback. "What? Now?"**

**Patch nonchalantly lifted one shoulder. "Why not now? You do know that the best thing to do if you fall off of a horse is to get back on immediately." He frowned, considering. "Or was that falling off a bicycle? Nah, I don't think so. Not that I am necessarily comparing myself to a horse or a bicycle, but... well, you catch my drift, I suppose." Pointedly, he held out his hand again. **

**There really was no way out.**

**Nora looked at his extended hand as if wondering what to do with it. Finally she took it, hesitantly, but she balked when he gently tugged at it to get her to move away from the wall.**

**Patch was starting to get impatient with her stalling. "It's not as if you have any pressing engagements and we're not going won't be interrupted, no ones home or even expected home any time soon."**

**That was exactly what she was afraid of, Nora thought distractedly. She couldn't afford to admit that his nearness alone caused her to feel all kinds of funny, (the word is 'unwelcome', Nora, she corrected herself instantly) sensations. She replied rather sharply. "I know because there's nothing to interrupt, it's just dancing lessons, but people already talk gossip about us, Patch!" A slight blush stained her cheeks when she remembered yesterday's dancing class and her own unexpected (and unwelcome!) reaction to Patch's proximity. For Patch's part he couldn't care less what people thought or talked about the appropriateness of his friendship with her, he cared even less what people thought of him. She was right, this was only a dancing lesson between lifelong friends, so why was she suddenly making this so difficult he wondered?**

**Patch lifted his eyebrow, not wanting to let it go. "Why are you so worried if it isn't about my love-sick little brother? You and I both know he wants more than you are ready or willing to give him." Nora wisely refrained from answering...**

**Why was he like a dog with a bone, Nora asked herself. She would let him believe it was out of concern for Rixon's feelings if he wanted to, it was so much safer than the alternative.**

**Patch surprised her then. He scooted up closer to her and tilted her face up so he could look into her inquisitive gray eyes. She stared at him, wide-eyed, when he told her in a strangely sincere voice. "Let me tell you, Nora, there's not a man in his right mind that would chase after another girl if he stood any chance at all of having you." He paused then added matter-of-factually. "Well, I know I wouldn't, so I'm sure my brother won't either, but since neither of us stand a chance we don't have to worry about that now, do we?"**

**Nora blushed, his soft words had caused a violent fluttering in her stomach, as if butterflies had suddenly taken up residence there. She didn't know where to look: his serious gaze seemed to pierce her soul.**

**Patch had only told her what he felt was true, but he read her unease and released her. He took a step back and tried to lighten the mood by teasing her. "Then again, I'm not Rixon. I sure wouldn't have left you all alone with my depraved, but incredibly hot older brother on a Saturday night, even if he pinky promised that he'd behave and they were 'just friends'..." He made air quotations around the "Just friends" dramatically, poking fun at the way people always assumed the worst, it made for better gossip.**

**Nora took in the furniture pushed up against the walls and the carpets again before commenting. "You sure are taking this seriously for a small town dance competition, especially when it's high-schoolers mainly."**

"**If I'm going to enter, I'm going to win."**

**Nora laughed. "What happened to participating is more important than winning?"**

**Patch rolled his eyes. "Oh, cut it out, Nora! Bad losers undoubtedly invented that particular profundity. Winning is the only thing that matters, since no one ever remembers who came in second. Hasn't our childhoods taught you that by now?" The look on his face let her know that he had their parents in mind who accepted nothing but first place and winning from all of them at all times.**

**Nora looked at him then said impish. "Well then, if you have your sights set on winning this contest, we better get started instead of just standing around talking about it. We're wasting precious time!"**

**Patch let out a disbelieving snort and shook his head. Trust a woman to turn everything on its head: he hadn't been the one turning every stone looking for excuses! But he didn't say anything; he just motioned for her to go ahead of him to the space in the middle of the room.**

**Patch walked over to the stereo so that he could start the music. He looked at her over his shoulder and remarked. "Today you just need to rehearse the basic steps so you have them firmly in your head before we start on the more complicated moves. Next time we'll get to the real salsa dancing, I promise. Now take off your shoes."**

**Nora felt disappointed for reasons she again did not want to explore, that they wouldn't be actually dancing together today. She missed his cue on taking off her shoes.**

"**Daydreaming about me already, Nora?" He smirked at her before repeating. "I asked you to take off your shoes. You can't possible dance wearing those tennis shoes, you will have to do it barefoot until we can find you something suitable."**

**Nora bent over to undo her shoelaces. "What do you call suitable?"**

**When he didn't answer her, Nora looked up to find he had turned from the stereo to openly check out her backside when she bent over to take off her shoes. She blushed furiously and lost her balance, landing on her butt.**

**Patch grinned. "You should definitely wear heels. Maybe they'd better not be too high though, we don't want you falling over after all. Your balance seems a bit off." **

**He chuckled when she scowled at him from her spot on the floor. Damn him, Nora thought, he knew very well that her falling over just now hadn't had anything to do with her balance or lack there of. She knew she should keep quiet, but she couldn't resist. "I don't believe you! Were you just checking me out?!"**

**He cocked one eyebrow and nodded. Nora glared at him. "What? Turnabout is only fair after all, and I distinctly recall you checking me out yesterday..."**

**Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, Nora thought. She didn't think he'd noticed since he was wrapped in that brazen slut then, but apparently he had been aware of her scrutiny. She was still sitting on the floor with one shoe in her hand so she threw it at him. He ducked in time, of course, and laughed out loud. The shoe hit the wall and thumped to the wooden floor.**

**So she pulled off the other shoe and threw that one as well. He simply sidestepped and it flew right past him. "You missed, and now you're all out of ammunition!" He said in a sing-song voice, extending his hand to haul her up off the floor with no effort at all.**

"**To start I'm going to teach you some warm-up exercises. I'd say that I don't want you to hurt yourself, if you pull a muscle I'll have to massage it, not that I'd mind getting the kinks out for you." He teased. "But I'm afraid your male suitors wouldn't take kindly to that." **

**Nora's eyes cold gray eyes shot daggers at him. He knew she didn't have any male suitors outside of his brother because he had chased them all away when they showed any interest in his 'little sister'. Plus, Nora had never really shown interest in any of the boys so he didn't think she'd hit that hormonal teenage stage yet, even if she did have the killer body of a full-grown woman. She had never shown any physical reactions to him at least, aside from their mutual admiration for each others bodies which they'd kept at a once over with their eyes on a rare occasion. He had those reactions from every female he met so he felt safe teasing her mercilessly and flirting, it was harmless and he was sure she was used to it by now, she was even starting to hold her own against him occasionally.**

_**Patch came to stand in front of her and turned his back to her, so he could show her the steps. It was quite a simple sidestepping routine. The hardest thing to grasp was the rhythm.**_

_**She got the hang of it fairly quickly, but as soon as she wasn't concentrating on Patch's feet anymore, she noticed he wasn't just making the moves with his feet. His whole body was moving: his arms were raised at an angle and his hips sort of tilted with his steps. She focused on his hips and copied his moves as well as she could. She suddenly found herself wondering why she had never noticed before yesterday that he had a very nice ass? Because you have absolutely no business looking at his ass, Nora! She scolded herself. You're just looking at it now to learn salsa. That's right! Damn but it was getting warm in here!**_

_**Patch suddenly turned around as if he had felt her eyes on him, making her lose the rhythm. Her eyes flew up to his, because she didn't want to get caught checking him out again.**_

_**"Keep going, Nora." He said, taking a few steps backward, observing the way she moved. Just like he'd thought, she seemed to keep to the rhythm easily, but she needed to loosen up a little. "You've got to shake those hips. Come on, let loose!"**_

_**She made an effort to "shake her hips" as ordered. As she'd suspected, having his eyes on her made her feel awfully self-conscious. She felt a slight blush creeping over her cheeks: it felt so strange to dance like this just for Patch!**_

_**For over an hour he made her practice all the basic steps and turns that were yesterday, but unlike yesterday, she found that she could actually do them quite well. She even forgot about being self-conscious around Patch because he refrained from making any insinuating remarks he just corrected her and explained the steps like any other good teacher.**_

_**When he stopped the music, saying they had done enough for today, she was genuinely disappointed and surprised to notice that dusk had indeed fallen. She had been having fun, it was going just fine and she had the idea that she could go on forever, so she protested, "Oh, come on, Patch, I don't want to stop just yet!"**_

_**"Can't get enough of it, can you?" She perked up when he said that, but he continued, "You've practiced enough for today, Nora. We can always continue tomorrow if you want."**_

_**She padded over to him, still barefoot, and looked up at him with beseeching eyes, "Can't we just have one dance?"**_

_**He looked down at her with an indulgent smile, and she thought he was surely going to relent, so she wheedled, "One teeny tiny little dance together for your best friend? Please, Patch?"**_

_**Patch didn't answer her. Instead he looked over her shoulder and drawled, "Well, hello, brother!"**_

_**And that was the end of the dance lesson. No sense in them rubbing it in Rixon's face what he could never have. Nora, in her defense, had asked him first and he had chosen to say no. Patch knew Nora well enough to know she was feeling guilt she shouldn't or he would have loved to have taunted his little brother the rest of the night but his Angel's feelings came first.**_

_**When she got home she tried calling Rixon, she hated leaving feeling bad because she didn't return his affection, but he wasn't answering his phone. So much for friendship she grumbled to herself. At least Patch always picked up on her first ring or immediately text her back when she tried reaching him. Apparently Rixon didn't have the same respect.**_

_**Rixon finally returned her call later and Nora asked him what was wrong, why he didn't answer her.**_

_**"When I came in and found you there with Patch, I just…" He hesitated and looked at his hands not willing to admit the jealousy that had shot through him."Why were you begging him to dance with you?"**_

_**The way he asked the question, almost as if it was an accusation, made her feel she had to justify herself, "I had practiced my steps alone for over an hour, Rixon. I wanted to try what I had learned for real, just once. That was why I was asking Patch for one dance! What's it to you anyways, it's not like we're dating or anything, we are just friends, you and I Rixon." She added softly not wanting to hurt his feelings anymore than she seemed to have done already. Vee was the one who made her feelings, thoughts and opinions known. Nora was the quieter, more introverted type. She could never say the things that her sister did.**_

"_**It sounded like more than that, Nora."**_

"_**It's just the way we talk to each other sometimes," Elena attempted to smooth his ruffled feathers once again.**_

_**Rixon was quiet a few moments, lost in thought. Then he said, "Yes, I know." There was a hint of bitterness in his tone. What Rixon knew was that Nora and his brother seemed to have developed a frequency of their own to communicate, leaving others out, even him, by default. He wasn't the only one to have noticed.**_

_**"I told you before that there is nothing going on between me and Patch. Well, there is friendship of course, but that's all there is, all there has ever been between us it's just how we are together and you of all people should know that by now!. Honestly! Why don't you want to believe that?" Nora asked, feeling oddly as if she was trying to convince herself just as much as Rixon.**_

_**"Because it's getting increasingly difficult, Nora. There might be nothing more than friendship on his side, but there certainly is more than that on yours," Rixon warned, trying to not to sound more jealous than he was already coming off as. She was after all right, she didn't belong to him or anyone else for that matter, which only added to him questioning her feelings for Patch, which was looking like more than just simply a life long best friend to him. Why didn't she date he wondered again for the millionth time, here she was the top of her class, easily the most gorgeous girl in the high school and head track star with a body to die for and a personality that made everyone love her instantly, putting them at ease, yet he could count on his one hand how many dates she had been on, adding to his uneasiness over her and Patch's friendship. He thought that she hadn't given a second thought about her true feelings for his brother, he couldn't have been further from the truth. Hell, it was practically all she thought about these days no matter how much she had going on. Rixon just didn't know that and that was a very good thing. He would just rub it in her face that it was nothing more than Patch doing what Patch does best. Flirt. He would point out how foolish she was if she thought she stood a chance with his philandering older brother when she was still so far from the caliber of women that he dated. She already felt that way.**_

_**"I hate to point out to you that is your own fault, Rixon. You had your chance." Nora sounded irritated that he was trying to make her feel bad. Even though she had always been so much closer to Patch she had given Rixon the chance to dance with her first thinking he would say yes and she'd make him happy, but he had turned her down. How was that her fault? Plus, he was best friends with Vee, if he wanted to dance so bad he should ask her! She never question their affection, why was he calling hers into question?**_

_**"I suppose I just didn't figure you would go through with it without me. I didn't think you would choose Patch knowing what a flirt and womanizer he is, his reputation could ruin you, but again, I underestimated the draw you guys have always had to each other."**_

_**"That's not fair, Rixon. He offered and I accepted, but only after I had asked you. So you really have no right to ask me to stop now, or to ask me to change partners. Patch's reputation has never affected our friendship and it never will. You need to stop trying to convince me that you know what's best for me just like our parents do, stop trying to drive a wedge between Patch and me. I know him better than anyone, there's nothing you can tell me or warn me of that I don't already know."**_

"_**Why the sudden distrust? Patch and I have spent everyday of the last fourteen years together, Rixon. We've slept next to each other more nights than not and nothing inappropriate has ever happened between us."**_

"_**I do trust you, it's my brother I don't trust. When this thing is over I'm not even sure you will trust yourself." Was he ever going to realize that she would never be more than a friend to him, that even if Patch wasn't in the picture, that was never going to be the case, but even if he wasn't she was **__never__** going to be his.**_

"_**After all these years of growing up together, being friends with you, you would think you'd have a little more respect for me and my morals!" Nora was miffed by his vacillating answer. She was also well aware that her growing annoyance was also due to her insecurity about her own reaction to Patch lately; and it put her firmly on the defensive, "Why are you making such a fuss about this? It's only dancing, Rixon!"**_

_**Rixon was silent on the other end of the phone for a few moments. Then he said two damning words. "Is it?"**_

_**Nora wanted to throw her hands up in the air, but since he couldn't see her she settled for a retort. "Fine! Be that way!" Friends or not he didn't have the right.**_

_**The next day in the Cipriano parlor found Nora stomping her foot in frustration. **_

"_**Knock it off Patch, I mean it!" She wasn't going to let him keep baiting her. "I told Rixon he could trust me and that we were only dancing together, nothing more!" Her eyes widened a fraction: she hadn't intended on letting him know about that.**_

_**"Why would you need to tell Rixon that?" Patch narrowed his eyes, "Did he say something to you?"**_

_**He thought that sounded suspiciously as though Rixon and Nora had been at odds about her dancing with him already. Rixon should know how stubborn Nora could be: telling her she couldn't do something would only have the effect of pushing her right into it. If Rixon was smart, Patch thought, he would just keep his mouth shut. Taking her up on it would only serve to drive Nora into the defensive and away from Rixon. Wait, why was that a bad thing? Rixon needed to learn that she didn't belong to him and get over her so he could move on to some girl who actually wanted his affection.**_

_**Nora was backpedaling quickly. "No! Did he say something to you?"**_

_**Great, Nora thought, all she needed now was Rixon trying to talk to Patch about this. If Rixon was smart, Nora thought, he would just keep his mouth shut. Trying to warn Patch off would only serve to make him even more insufferable, for if he smelled discord between them… Infuriating Cipriano's! They were both out to drive her completely crazy!**_

_**She really didn't want to think about it any further: she was here to dance! That's why she didn't wait for Patch's answer, but snapped instead, "Just forget about it already! Are we gonna dance or what?"**_

_**Patch looked at Elena's high color and at her eyes shooting fire and sketched her an exaggerated bow, thinking that she really was magnificent when she was angry, "Your every wish is my command, malady." Making her relax and laugh as he had intended.**_

_**He walked to the stereo, and Nora noticed he wasn't wearing any shoes, so she deduced they were going to practice barefoot again. She looked rebelliously at his back and kicked off her flip-flops. She hadn't wanted a repeat performance from last time and had chosen her footwear accordingly (besides, it was too warm to wear anything else). He didn't give her any sign that he'd noticed; he just pressed play and the song they had used for the warm-up routine sounded from the speakers.**_

_**The warming up was short, and very soon Patch turned to Nora and said matter-of-factually, "I see you're still angry."**_

_**Her eyes flashed up to his face and she answered tersely, "Who says I'm angry?"**_

_**Patch shrugged and said, "It's kind of rolling off you in waves, sweetheart." She narrowed her eyes at the endearment, but decided to let it lie when Patch went on, "But that's good, you know. Just use it, pour it all into the dance!"**_

_**Nora grumbled to herself that he needn't think he was going to succeed in unbalance her this time, whatever he said!**_

_**She was so busy silently fuming about Patch's impertinence and Rixon being a busybody that she hardly noticed Patch approaching her and putting his arms around her, taking care not to come too close. Such was her distraction that she was dancing the steps she had learned yesterday without giving it too much thought. Patch wisely remained silent; he just guided her through the basic steps and turns with a sure hand. He could tell Nora was gradually calming down, her anger dissipating when she started to relax into the dance. She had been practicing the basic steps so thoroughly yesterday that her feet seemed to somehow know the steps better than she did.**_

_**At first she was just following his lead, mechanically stepping and turning. But as one song seamlessly melted into another, she started to really listen to the music and feel the sensuous pull of the rhythm. As her feet stepped more securely, she attempted to give her body more of a sway. She wasn't really looking at Patch; her eyes fixed somewhere below his face, unseeing, as she listened and learned, totally absorbed.**_

_**He was content to just let her find her dancing legs for a while, and then decided to try something new. Instead of just leading her into a turn she knew, he expertly guided her into a slightly different figure. She looked up in surprise, her concentration broken. But she did try to follow him and if she fumbled it a bit at the end, it wasn't badly done at all. He smiled encouragingly.**_

_**It was just as he'd known: she had a natural talent for dancing, and she made a good partner. Her body was soft and supple in his arms and she had no trouble after the up-tempo salsa rhythm.**_

_**Nora was marveling at how well it seemed to go today. Now that she had forgotten she had been intimidated by Patch's proximity, salsa seemed to agree with her very well indeed! Of course that thought was all it took to set her thinking about him again, and about all the reasons that it hadn't worked so well two days ago. Suddenly she became aware of the rock hard muscles rippling under her hands and of her body moving in sync with his. Her eyes flickered up to his face, only to drop the instant she felt him looking down at her.**_

_**Patch put a damper on his salacious thoughts of her when he felt Nora tensing up slightly in his arms and wondered at the cause of it. She had done extremely well, and now she had lost her focus from one instant to the next. He would almost think she was a mind reader, the way she avoided his eyes!**_

_**Nora forcibly reined in her errant thoughts and concentrated on the steps and the new figures Patch was inserting in between. They were just slight variations on the steps she already knew, so she kept up, if not effortlessly, then at least without too much trouble. She found that focusing on dancing kept her wayward thoughts in line, well, more or less in line. The end of the song approached, and she suddenly felt his hand on her hip and his other hand bringing up her arm and spinning her, spinning her, on and on, until she dizzily fell over her own feet, stumbling into his chest.**_

_**Automatically his arms came around her to steady her and she looked up at the same moment he looked down, their lips only inches apart. Their eyes locked, her wide-open eyes the color of dark chocolate fixing on his intense, cobalt blue gaze.**_

_**The song came to an abrupt end, but neither Patch nor Nora noticed the sudden silence. Nora was too busy drowning in the deep, obsidian depths of his eyes, and Patch drew in the heady, intoxicating scent of Nora so close to him making him weak with wanting her. When looking back this may have been what later led to their physical relationship, despite the deep love and friendship someone has like theirs, you'd have be blind to not see the beginning of the sexual tension they were feeding each other unknowingly already. With this kind of connection how could they keep things innocent for long?**_

_**The sound of her own harsh breathing pulled Nora back to reality a moment later and she jumped away from Patch with a gasp. His hands followed her as she took a step back, as if entreating her to come back; then he let them drop to his sides.**_

_**Patch had to clear his throat before he could say quietly, "I think we've done enough for today, Nora. How about we continue Wednesday afternoon?" With that he left the room leaving behind an even more confused Nora. Once again she found herself still standing there wondering what the hell she hadn't gotten herself into then quickly chanted what would become her new mantra for a very long time, 'he's your best friend, Nora, he's always been sexy you just haven't noticed until now. Nothing has changed, you're still friends so don't blow it by letting the constant jolts of electricity he keeps zapping you with short-circuit your brain so you screw up what you have for something that won't ever happen.'**_

_**Thank god for school tomorrow! She'd never thought she'd ever say that, but she needed to put some distance between herself and Patch stat or she wasn't going to be able to withstand the heat…**_

_**The following weekend Vee, who had watched Nora and Patch practicing unaware of her presence, pulled Nora aside with a warning about how things were heating up between them.**_

_**"I think I can handle myself, Vee." Nora was adamant.**_

_**"But are you sure you can handle Patch?" Vee thought to herself, but she didn't say anything. If Nora wanted to delude herself into thinking it was still only friendship and maybe attraction to Patch (who wouldn't be attracted the man was sex on a stick!) then who was she to burst her bubble. As much as Vee for the most part didn't like Patch and his playboy ways, but she knew when it came right down to it he would always love and protect Nora, even from himself. Vee was almost as good as Patch at reading her little sister, well as close as anyone could get without having the bond those two shared, she knew without a shadow of a doubt Nora was head over heels for Patch and her sister knew it too. What Vee didn't understand was why she was torturing herself this way by dancing this dance with him as her partner instead of Rixon the safer and more proper choice. What Nora was thinking was this was probably the closest to being with Patch as she would ever get so she might as well enjoy it for as long as she could, which wouldn't be for very long at all. Vee knew that if Patch had truly known how deeply and madly in love with him Nora was and the future her sister was fantasizing about with him he wouldn't be challenging or playing the flirting game with Nora or her heart. As much as she hated to admit it, even with his 'bad boy who doesn't give a fuck' image, when it came to matters of Nora he would never knowingly toy with her heart. Ever. Problem was, he didn't have a clue.**_


	5. Chapter 5 - THE BET

_**CHAPTER 5**_

_**THE BET**_

_**Nora walked into her room following dinner with her grandma to find a letter on her bed from Rixon. Things had been really hard on their friendship, harder than usual since the whole salsa deal had began. They were always rockier than her and Patch, Rixon was more moody and introverted like Nora. He was also more like their parents, not understanding that she might have dreams and goals of her own. He, like them, expected her to follow the 'proper' path in life, his proper path. She knew he cared about her, loved her even, and she did love him, she just wasn't 'in' love with him. Still, she never wanted him to be hurt and she was more confused than ever. On one hand she had the younger Cipriano brother head over heels for her when she only really wanted friendship, then there was Patch, her best friend and the one she had been lusting over. She was sure they had come close to kissing a few times during dance practices, but something always happened to interrupt, often it was Rixon.**_

_**Nora picked up the letter with a sigh. Knowing Rixon this was going to make her guilt even worse.**_

_Dear Nora:_

_I need some space from you right now. I've asked Vee to keep her time with me separate from you. I just can't be around as long as you're doing this (whatever "this" is) with Patch. It hurts me to see you together when all I want is for that to be me. Watching you touch him, even if you're only dancing. Watching him touch you as only a lover should. Hearing you talk and laugh with him like you guys have always done when I should be the one with you, not him._

_You've told me time and again that my brother is just your friend. Maybe you still think of him as only that, but I think you may be deluding yourself. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm afraid I'm right. I've seen the look you get in your eyes whenever I interrupt you. I've seen the way you dance with him. You fall silent whenever I come in, you've both shared secrets our whole lives that I've never been a party to._

_I don't want to keep doing this, Nora. It's eating me up inside. I'm always angry nowadays, and I hate it. You were meant to be mine._

_Perhaps dancing with Patch is your way of punishing me for refusing to dance with you in the first place? Maybe it's because as you've said before, your love for me is not the same love I hold for you. You've made me regret my decision every day since I turned you down._

_I've been the proverbial third wheel since childhood with you and Patch. I'm praying this is just a whim of yours, temporary insanity. All I know is I would put up with many things to have you, I don't want to lose you, Nora, I want so much for us to be together. We can have it all, our families business and income, a family with kids, a big house and nice cars. We can take vacations together, travel and see the world. I would lay it all at your feet. It's what our parents have always wanted, what I have always wanted. I can't even find it in me to blame you for this. I know my brother. I've seen him weave his spells whenever you're dancing and I hate it. I warned him not to try and take you away from me. I'm not surprised he didn't listen to me. I expected as much from him, but not from you, which is why I can't help but think that you might want to be taken away, that you want him to seduce you. He's older than us, Nora, it's just not right. Maybe it's all the time you've spent together, all the nights you slept in his arms as he comforted you from through your nightmares. I would have done the same things for you, I will do the same things for you, only I can give you my heart where my brother only has his friendship to give you. He's no good, Nora, not for you._

_I don't want to come to blows with Patch over you. Not just because it's a forgone conclusion who will come out the winner, but because it won't change anything in the end. If you choose him over me, so be it. I'll just have to learn to live with that. I'm trying to do what grandma Clista has been telling us, to 'follow my heart'._

_Patch has shown that he is constant in his affections for you. He's proven that he's willing to do whatever it takes to protect you, perhaps even more so than I am. However much it pains me to admit this now, you're the one who brings out the side of Patch no one else ever get's to see. You bring out the love in my brother. You bring out the best in both of us. If he was willing to change for you, forsake his wild ways than you would both have my blessing and I wouldn't stand in his way or yours if it's really him that you want. I don't think he's ever going to do that though. Nora, you want to have the husband, the house, the kids, the car and Patch...Patch is Patch he won't settle down or take anything serious, he'll never be able to make you happy._

_For now I'm putting some distance between us and Vee agrees with my decision to back off. I just ask that you try to truly search your heart between now and the dance contest. You're loyal to a fault and I know you would never want to hurt either of us. It all goes back to us following our hearts, I don't want to continue pulling you one way if your heart wants to go another. At the end of the day it's not fair to any of us. I want you completely, Nora, or not at all. I don't want to share you with Patch. I am that selfish. I've shared you enough already, I won't continue to do it._

_I'm not giving up on you, Nora. Please use this opportunity to explore what's in your heart. We can talk after the dance competition and I hope that you will have the answer for me I've been waiting to hear, that we've all been waiting to hear from you._

_Forever Yours,_

_Rixon Cipriano_

_**Meanwhile Patch was out with his close pal, Angelo.**_

"_**Oh, come on, Angelo!" Patch exclaimed, and started counting on his fingers. "There's just a few pesky little problems like she's way to young and innocent to be with someone like me, I'm practically her brother which makes me sick in the head, AND she's supposed to be my brother's girl, she's practically signed, sealed and delivered to him. Then there's my annoying conscience that knows I don't really deserve her like he does, so I can't just up and take her from him. She's not just any other girl that I can rob of their innocence without a thought. She's a virgin, Angelo, she should stay that way, wait for the right guy even though the thought of her..." Patch trailed off for a minute unable to finish that thought, not liking the direction it was taking him. "Oh, and yes, let's not forget that she doesn't want to be taken because I'm her 'best friend', nothing more and nothing less..."**_

_**Angelo mulled this over for a moment and then said. "Are you so sure about that?"**_

_**Patch groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Well, I'm as sure as I can be after we almost shared a passionate kiss this morning...before she remembered our friendship, came to her senses and ran out on me..."**_

_**Angelo's eyebrows shot up. "Again? For a girl who claims to love you as 'just a friend', she sure has come close to kissing you a lot since this all started, my friend! Don't you think that's kind of significant? Even if you did get together, it's not like you must have sex until she's ready to." Angelo had known Nora almost as long as Patch had and he knew she wasn't the type to go around trying to kiss just anybody. In fact, she hadn't been the type to kiss anyone... ever.**_

"_**Yeah, yeah, I'm irresistible and all." Patch shook his head incredulously. You know, I never pegged you as a closet romantic, Angelo. Don't tell me you actually believe in fairy tales."**_

"_**Smart ass." Angelo grumbled. "You know, some happy endings do come true."**_

"_**Not if your love is unrequited, it sucks any way you look at it." Patch sighed, suddenly serious again. "Nora would never admit that she feels something for me. I'm convinced when she says we will always be friends that that's what she means, friends. I'm always going relegated back to my perpetual status of 'best friend, protector, and stand in brother'."**_

_**Angelo rolled his eyes. "She sure has a funny way of showing her friendship then. At least, I don't go around almost French-kissing my friends! I don't know about you though..."**_

_**Patch was about to retort when Angelo's girlfriend walked up, greeting them. **_

"_**I'll catch you later, Angelo. Have a good night." He was already walking away when he heard Angelo call after him.**_

"_**Think about what I said." Patch just gave him a wave before ducking out the door.**_

_**Nora was now sitting on the edge of her bed holding the note loosely in her hand lost in thought... "I've seen the way you dance with him..." Yes. How could she completely lose herself just dancing with Patch? Why was she constantly craving to touch him, to kiss him?**_

_**And then this morning when he almost kissed her...or she almost kissed him. Whatever, they'd almost kissed...**_

_**The letter slipped from her suddenly numb fingers. She squeezed her eyes shut when the truth hit her like a ton of bricks.**_

_**She was in love with Patch Cipriano. She was 'IN' love with her best friend, with a guy who went through girls like most people went through toilet paper.**_

_**She fell back on her bed. Staring at the ceiling with unseeing eyes, her mind sluggishly trying to grasp the astounding concept that seemed so patently obvious once her eyes had been opened to see the truth that had always been in her heart. The truth that her grandma had known all along.**_

_**God help her, she was in love with Patch...**_

_**How on earth had that happened? Who was she kidding? Somewhere inside of her she'd always known, she just never wanted to admit it, not even to herself...**_

_**In the last couple weeks he had made her feel more grown up, more desirable than she'd ever felt before. He'd shown her what it could be like if they fell in love.**_

_**Granted, she had always been attracted to him, even at five years old. You'd have be blind not to be. She had tried to pass this off on physical attraction and hormones. She wasn't so shallow though that she would fall for just another pretty face.**_

_**Looking back, hindsight being 20/20, she could see how it had been gradually sneaking up on her. She hadn't even been aware that her heart could be in any danger. She had felt so secure in her friendship with Patch, so much so that it had blinded her to everything and everyone else. She'd missed all the telltale signs of trouble.**_

_**In spite of several warnings from her sister and Rixon, she'd foolishly left her heart unguarded. She hadn't been ready to fight because she hadn't even been aware that there might be something to fight against, they were just friends... Patch had staged an assault, she was sure of it, and it had gone undetected by her, he'd breached her defenses and taken up residence in her mind and in her heart as far more than only her best friend. Definitely more than a brother.**_

_**She'd been sidetracked by the constant pressure to be Rixon's. That had been their parents hopes and dream as well as his hearts desire, but not hers. Never hers, it was like the hints that grandma Clista was always dropping about her and Patch, how she had fallen in love with him the first day she met him, that seemed like forever ago. If she took her grandma's advice and followed her heart would his heart meet hers halfway? Nora didn't think so sadly. She was safe guarded in the strictly 'friend zone' category. Her mind filled with thoughts of their past, cataloging all the little moments of closeness between her and Patch. Surreptitious touches, lingering looks she should by rights have recognized for what they were. There had simply been too much tension, too strong of emotions for 'just' friendship. It was more like a game of playful teasing, sexual attraction and flirty banter between two people who were hovering on the brink of becoming something a whole lot more...**_

_**There was one more thing that Nora was unaware of. Patch had read that letter before it was delivered to her. Rixon had made sure he would get the girl by making her feel remorse for the time Patch and her had spent together preparing for the dance. She would probably blame herself and abandon the salsa contest so she wasn't tempted. Nora was the type of girl who felt guilty for feeling guilty.**_

_**Patch would be damned if he let her get away with wallowing in guilt and standing him up as a result, especially after he spent all this time getting her ready and he, in fact, deemed her as good as ready as ready could be. There was still an outstanding bet to consider, a wager involving a certain dress that was at stake.**_

_**A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips. If he had lost the battle, he still had by no means lost the war, he wasn't ready to admit defeat. Not by a long shot. He picked up the phone and called Bella and Vee.**_

_**On Tuesday morning, Nora was intentionally trying to avoid running into her sister. Of course Vee was the very first person she bumped into leaving her bedroom.**_

"_**Where were you yesterday? I looked all over for you and knocked on your bedroom door and you never answered."**_

_**Nora fidgeted uncomfortably, "I had a headache. I stayed in bed all day," she replied, and that wasn't even a lie. She tried never to lie to Vee, but there some things she just couldn't tell her...yet.**_

"_**Damn. I was hoping you came to your senses about Rixon."**_

_**How could Nora tell her sister that Rixon, Vee's best friend, was never going to be her boyfriend no matter how hard he tried and no matter how much Nora cared about him. She wished Vee would just stop. It was bad enough that Rixon pressured her like he did, then her mom had started bringing bridal magazines home with pages dog-eared to brides dresses she thought Nora might 'love' to have. Nora was only seventeen, she wouldn't 'love' to have any of them! Especially not with Rixon! To make matters even worse there was the constant tug and pull on her between her sister and Patch. Sometimes she just wanted to stomp her feet, throw things and scream into her pillow. She didn't want to talk about Rixon, she didn't want to think about Patch...especially not about almost kissing him...**_

"_**I got a phone call from Patch..." Vee announced, immediately getting Nora's full attention. Then again, maybe she did want to think about Patch, well, talk about Patch, maybe not think.**_

_**"Why would Patch call you?" Nora said in surprise.**_

_**Vee looked slightly taken aback at Nora's strange reaction. She may not agree with the way he spent his time or the way she sometimes thought he led her sister on with constant flirting, but Vee and Patch had grown up together and still did talk.**_

_**"Nora? Is something the matter?" Finally Vee had caught on to Nora's discomfiture.**_

_**Nora waved her hand, trying to appear casual, "No, no, nothing. So, Patch called you, huh?"**_

_**Vee looked suspiciously at her for a moment longer, a worried frown creasing her forehead. Then her usual ebullience popped up again, and her voice rose with her enthusiasm when she gushed, "Yes! And he had the most wonderful idea. Apparently he knows a great bar, and he wants us to go there with him!"**_

_**Nora looked nonplussed for a moment, "What? Patch knows a bar? I imagine he knows a lot of bars. What's so special about this one?"**_

_**Vee huffed reproachfully, "Well, Nora, if you wouldn't keep interrupting me," Nora raised her eyebrows at this point, but Vee ignored her and went on, "I could tell you."**_

_**Nora made a zipping motion with her hand in front of her mouth, indicating she'd keep mum.**_

_**"It's a bar where they do a salsa night once a month. They turn the bar into a salsa café and have a salsa band playing all night. We could go there and practice! Sounds great, huh?" Vee looked at Nora expectantly.**_

_**"Great," Nora muttered weakly.**_

_**Vee went right on, "So, it's only this Wednesday. I'm totally in a tizzy about what I'm going to wear! I might even have to go and buy something new this afternoon!"**_

_**Nora's eyes widened, "Wednesday? But… that's… tomorrow?"**_

_**Vee nodded enthusiastically, "Yup. Oh, I think it's so neat that he invited us along! We're going to have so much fun!"**_

_**Well, at least somebody will, Nora thought. Vee and Scott were having a great time learning to dance together, they'd been joining her and Patch off and on for practice and instruction, Bella and Shadow had even came to observe them a few times, mostly though it was just Nora and Patch.**_

_**Rixon wanted me to explore my feelings...consider this exploring Nora thought as she got ready the next night. She had called her grandma that day to talk to her about going dancing with Patch. Her grandma had been encouraging, telling her to have a good time and just let things go and have fun, stop over thinking things.**_

_**Patch pulled up in his jeep with the hard top off so when they set out the wind tugged on her hair. She felt good, free, happy for a moment. Turning she cast him a sideways glance, surreptitiously admiring his chiseled features, gorgeous Italian complexion, deep onyx eyes and shock of messy, windswept raven hair with the little curls at the bottom where he kept it longer. The slanting rays of the evening sun gilded the clean-cut lines of his face, from her vantage point seemed to crown him with an unearthly halo of burnished gold, making him look every bit an angel, a fallen angel, she mused.**_

_**Nora corrected herself drily, it was probably more accurate to say he reminded her of Lucifer! Then she bit back a smile at her own mental image: Lucifer indeed! They'd never let him in the pearly gates anyway; he'd wreak too much havoc with his sinfully sexy good looks.**_

_**Patch felt her eyes on him and turned his head slightly to look at her for a moment before returning his eyes to the road. "Why are you looking at me like that, Nora?"**_

_**Unthinkingly, she blurted out. "I was thinking you look like Lucifer..."**_

_**Patch smiled teasingly back at her. "If by that you mean to say that I'm devilishly handsome, you're absolutely right."**_

_**She shook her head with an indulgent smile at his brazen impudence. "I was surprised you invited Vee and Scott tonight. You don't exactly get along with Scott." **_

"_**There's a reason I don't get along with him, which is putting it mildly, by the way. I have to admit though, I had another reason for inviting Vee tonight. Remember our wager? If I could get you to dance salsa well enough to satisfy Bella and Vee's critical judgment, I get to choose your dress for the contest. Bella is sick so Vee is honorary judge." **_

_**Nora turned to him excitedly. "Do you actually think I'm good enough then? You never said so!"**_

_**Patch answered drily. "I never got the chance. Remember last Saturday?"**_

_**Nora blushed furiously: Saturday he had dared her to show him she was ready for the contest, she had almost initiated a kiss before coming to her senses and bolting out the door. It seemed like such a long time ago, when in reality it was only a few days.**_

_**Patch chuckled when he saw her blushing. "I see you do remember. Well as far as I'm concerned, you've become quite a proficient salsa dancer, so I figured it was time to cash in on my wager. Be ready to lose..." He smirked as he pulled into a parking space.**_

_**Nora swung her long elegant legs out of the car, and accepted Scott's extended hand with a smile. He pulled her up and looked her over thoroughly before saying appreciatively. "Hey, sexy lady! I have to say that you sure look great tonight!" Vee frowned.**_

_**Nora returned his flirtatious smile with a shy one of her own, her eyes softening when she looked at her longtime friend. "You don't look too bad yourself, sir." She nudged him in the arm. **_

_**They started walking towards the entrance with Vee and Patch trailing behind them.**_

"_**Vee, you should probably take better care of your date." Patch told Vee tersely. "You know, make sure he stays out of harms' way."**_

"_**What?" Vee looked puzzled, Scott was a big guy, plenty big enough to take care of himself.**_

_**Patch stared pointedly back at her and drawled. "Not now, Vee, but he's going to need it if he keeps flirting with my date."**_

_**Vee's eyes widened. "Your date, is it?" Then she smiled teasingly. "What's with the sudden caveman-date attitude, Patch?"**_

"_**It doesn't bother you that your date just called your little sister sexy?"**_

"_**So what?" Truth was, it didn't bother her the way it should, it should be a jealous woman not just a protective sister kind of bother her. Right?**_

"_**Men are essentially primitive creatures, Vee." Patch shrugged. "I shouldn't have to tell you that we wrote the book on possessiveness."**_

"_**I know that, but Scott and Nora are just friends like you and her, Patch." Vee sounded irritated.**_

_**Dammit, she thought, why was she even defending this, when in fact she agreed with Patch? Scott shouldn't be flirting with Nora; her sister didn't like him like that and he was supposed to be here with her, just like with Patch and Rixon, he was more concerned about Nora. It hurt her more than she cared to admit, almost as much as Rixon caring more about Nora than her.**_

"_**He wants to be more than friends." Patch pointed out, cutting straight to the chase.**_

"_**Okay, so they have some history between them." Vee admitted reluctantly. How could they not when Scott had grown up playing in the sandbox with Nora where he had been known for some time as 'Scotty the Potty' until he grew up and Vee changed his nickname to 'Scotty the Hottie'.**_

"_**I'll be damned if I let him add something more to that history." Patch muttered under his breath, staring daggers at Scott's back.**_

_**Vee looked at Patch somewhat startled by his reaction to Scott. He'd always been overprotective, but this was Nora's FRIEND. "Watch and learn, Vee." Patch told her quietly.**_

_**In a louder voice he said. "Can I just remind you that we have some history together just like these kids do? Or don't you remember the days when you were all 'girl likes boy, boy likes girl, sex'?"**_

_**Vee blushed slightly, wondering how he even knew about that. If she recalled it correctly, she'd said those words to Nora a long time ago when she was crushing on her sisters best friend.**_

_**She startled out of her reverie when Patch sidled closer to her and casually slung an arm over her shoulders. "Back in the days when I might have been up for it." He winked suggestively. "You wouldn't even have thought of turning me down."**_

"_**Please! Don't remind me. I got over you when I got over dieting!" Vee mumbled before realizing her mistake, she'd never gotten over dieting, her full curvy body was still that...full. Still, she didn't shrug off his arm.**_

"_**You have to admit we used to have fun together. I bet if I had tried doing that thing to you that..."**_

"_**What are you guys talking about?" Nora suddenly appeared at Patch's side, and Patch suppressed a satisfied smirk. Oh yeah, he was protective, she was HIS Angel, not Scott's not anyone else.**_

_**Patch winked at Vee again, his good mood instantly restored. "Oh, Vee and I were just reminiscing about old times..."**_

_**Vee jabbed her elbow in his ribs to keep him from saying more on the subject, and Patch withdrew his arm from around her.**_

_**Nora eyed the people waiting in a line outside, hoping to be allowed in, and said, "Well, Mr. Cipriano, I think it's time to prove your powers of persuasion!"**_

_**"Sure thing, Miss Grey," Patch replied nonchalantly, and looked towards the entrance. When he saw who was carding the people waiting to get in, one corner of his mouth quirked up in a slow smile.**_

_**Nora followed his gaze to see what he was staring at and saw he was observing a young woman standing by the rope closing off the entrance to the club.**_

_**She was dressed… well, that might not be the appropriate word, Nora simmered silently. She had poured herself into some kind of black leather corset that displayed her ample …um … assets to best advantage. Leather hot pants and fish net stockings showcased endless legs and gem-studded pumps completed the outfit. A wealth of wavy, luxuriously thick hair the color of copper spilled loosely over her shoulders and down her back, reaching all the way to her bottom. Her face bore an expression of bored ennui as she had everybody show their identification before allowing them in.**_

_**"Wait here while I handle this," Patch said breezily, "Won't be a minute."**_

_**He sauntered off, past the line of waiting people, most of whom followed his progress with curious envy. He stepped across the red rope as if he had every right to do so, and Nora watched as the redhead looked up with an irritated frown, clearly intending to tell him off.**_

_**But as soon as her eyes lit on him, her mouth snapped shut, and she sized him up approvingly, the frown disappearing. Patch started talking to her, and although the jaded look slipped off her face fairly quickly, she still shook her head.**_

_**Nora wasn't close enough to hear what was being said, but she could tell her sister was definitely listening. "It's not working; she's so not gonna let us in," Vee told Nora quietly, perverse pleasure ringing in her voice at Patch's anticipated failure.**_

_**They both observed Patch leaning over to whisper something in the girl's ear. Vee's frown told Nora that she hadn't been able to hear what he'd said, but the redhead's eyes widened and she suddenly gazed up at him with an inviting smile that made her look very pretty. Then she nodded.**_

_**Patch turned around and beckoned them closer. As Vee, Scott and Nora stepped over the red rope, the girl eyed them a little disdainfully, but she let them in without asking for ID.**_

_**When Patch made to follow them, she stopped him with a hand on his chest and told him in a throaty voice, "Enjoy yourself, cutie pie. Should you be bored, I'm off at eleven… Just ask for Candy!"**_

_**"Why, thank you, Candy. I'll be sure to remember that," Patch said in what Nora had dubbed his bedroom-voice, because it sounded all silky and seductive.**_

_**It made Nora bristle, and she hardly waited for them to be out of earshot to snap at him, "Did you have to do that?"**_

_**"Do what exactly?" Patch looked at her curiously, and when her eyes slid to Candy-the-carroty haired-corset-girl, his brow cleared. "You wanted to get in, didn't you? So I got you in. You even told me to use my powers of persuasion!"**_

_**"You know that's not what I meant. You could have just flirt with her to let us in," Nora replied sulkily.**_

_**Patch burst out laughing, "Well, well, well! Who'd have thought little ole innocent you of all people would be advocating the use of flirting." He smirked, "Although maybe innocent isn't exactly accurate in this case."**_

_**Nora scowled at him, and they walked inside. The interior of the club was quite dark, but Nora saw a bar along the wall on the one side, and scattered tables and chairs on the other. A big space in the middle was cleared for dancing.**_

_**Patch turned to her with an appealing look and extended his hand to her, "If I promise not to do it again, will you dance with me?" Oh God, Nora thought. Puppy dog eyes? The thing about having a friend as close as Patch was to her is that they know all the little buttons to push to get exactly what they wanted. It was absolutely no use trying to resist him…**_

_**Still, she hesitated a fraction of a second. This was the first time she was actually going to dance with him since discovering her feelings for him, and the thought made her nervous. Somehow it felt more significant now.**_

_**She looked at his extended hand and gingerly placed hers in it. A tingle of electricity raced up her arm from where their fingers touched and her eyes flew up to his, startled. For a moment the bar and its patrons faded away, every sound dimming. Her world shrunk to his luminous ebony eyes steadily gazing into hers. They were on an island of quiet, just the two of them...**_

_**The noise and the people rushed back suddenly as Vee jostled them on her way to the dance floor with Scott in tow. Nora blinked, uncertain what had just happened. Then Patch gave a little tug at her hand, pulling her along towards an empty spot on the dance floor.**_

_**The band was playing an up-tempo salsa song, and the dance floor was already crowded with couples dancing energetically to the rhythmic beat of the Latino music. When Patch pulled Nora's body closer to avoid bumping into too many others, Nora stiffened a little.**_

_**When they started dancing, she couldn't immediately find their normal, intuitive synchronization and she kept trying to avoid his eyes: it was as if being aware of her feelings for him had made her too sensitive to his every touch, unbalancing her and breaking her concentration. She quivered, all too aware of Patch's hand in the small of her back; all too aware he was touching her bare skin.**_

_**She had the impression of being closed in by the other dancing couples; she was uncertain about her moves; she didn't feel the rhythm as she should. When she took a wrong turn again, Patch's eyebrows climbed higher on his forehead, and he said, "What's wrong, Nora? This isn't like you at all: you aren't normally so unresponsive."**_

_**Her eyes flickered up to his, and she fibbed, desperate for an excuse to cover her bungling of the well-known salsa moves, "I don't know. I'm nervous, I guess. It's my first dance in public!"**_

_**Patch frowned, looking puzzled until he remembered how their last dance had ended.**_

_**He stopped dancing, and raised her face up to his with two elegant fingers under her chin, searching her countenance for clues and finding averted eyes and a telltale blush, "Nora. There's no need to be nervous: you look gorgeous and you are a wonderful dancer. Just forget about everything else tonight: we're just going to have some uncomplicated fun. I'll be the perfect gentleman, I promise. Now just relax, look into my eyes and let yourself feel the music!"**_

_**Nora took a deep breath and looked up at him, forcing herself to relax and her mind to stop buzzing. He placed his hand low on her back and resumed dancing, his eyes holding hers captive.**_

_**And just like that, the magic was back again: the breathtaking, wonderful harmony of their bodies moving in sync to the vivid salsa rhythm. The dancers crowding around her didn't bother Nora any longer and her body responded to his guidance as if he was a master musician and she was his favorite instrument...**_

_**They say that time flies when you're having fun, and that certainly proved true. Once Nora had vanquished her awkwardness and uncertainty, she enjoyed herself immensely. Patch guided her through combinations of known steps and turns they hadn't yet tried, and Nora had no trouble following his lead now. She even tried some variations herself, to Patch's obvious amusement.**_

_**Time was immaterial as they moved across the dance floor in perfect harmony, dancing without reserve, uninhibited sexy and completely attuned to each other, unaware of the other dancers casting them admiring and sometimes envious looks.**_

_**All too soon the band had finished their last song before taking a break, and Nora looked at Patch, and remarked with an edge of grudging admiration in her voice, "I have to admit that you are really very good at this!"**_

_**"I know," Patch replied smugly. He'd never been in the habit of practicing too much false modesty; why begin now?**_

_**But Nora lifted a mock-censorious eyebrow, "Cocky much?"**_

_**Patch looked down at her with a mischievous grin and said, "Very much!" Then he lowered his head to murmur in her ear, "But I have every right to be…"**_

_**Nora shivered when a flash of desire raced through her, turning her legs wobbly and making her stumble and blush furiously.**_

_**Patch responded by casually slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him as they made their way to the bar. Nora didn't object; in fact, she leaned in closer, deliberately intruding in his personal space. It made him smile slightly, because he hadn't been as sure about her reaction as he'd made out to be. But it also caused Vee, who was observing them from her vantage point on a bar stool, to raise an eyebrow in surprise.**_

_**Vee had kept a bar-stool for Nora as well, and Patch lifted her onto it without asking, his fingers lingering marginally too long on her waist. Nora thanked him with a tiny smile, and he leaned against her bar-stool, one arm behind her back as if she needed the support. Nora didn't say anything about that either, and Vee frowned, unable to shake the impression that Patch and Nora were undeniably emitting coupley-vibes.**_

_**As soon as Patch and Nora joined them, Scott excused himself to visit the men's room. Patch waited for Vee to hand Nora a much-needed drink before raising his voice slightly to make sure he could be heard over the music, "So, Vee, about why we are undertaking this school excursion…"**_

_**"I should have known there would be a reason apart from just having fun!" Vee replied sounding slightly peeved.**_

_**"Well, duh. Big, bad boy reputation here! Have you ever known me to do things out of the goodness of my cold heart?" Patch drawled sarcastically.**_

_**When Vee opened her mouth to reply, he held up a hand to stall her and said, "That was a rhetorical question, Vee!"**_

_**When Vee smirked, he bared his teeth menacingly and taunted, "Babysitting the kindergarten is ruining my reputation as it is! Don't add insult to injury by implying that I'm as harmless as a fluffy white bunny! It makes my teeth itch."**_

_**Vee quipped, "But Patch, fluffy white bunnies are so cute! It would guarantee you loads of female attention; all the girls will want to cuddle you. Wouldn't we, Nora?"**_

_**Patch looked down at Nora and teased, "How about it, Nora? Want to cuddle me?"**_

_**Nora retorted, "Fluffy white bunnies don't do a thing for me, Patch," She raised her eyes to his and added in a teasing voice, "Big, bad boys with reputations on the other hand…" Their eyes met and locked.**_

_**The intense way they were gazing at each other made her big sister wiggle on her stool uncomfortably: something was definitely happening here. She cleared her throat and said in a joking tone, "Now that we've established that my little sister is a bad boy junkie and insane, can we get to the reason we're here?"**_

_**Nora looked away from Patch first, her cheeks becomingly rosy. But it was Patch who picked up the thread of the conversation again, "Right. We're here because Nora and I have a wager going, and-"**_

_**Vee perked up again, and interrupted him, making Patch blow out an aggravated breath, "Ooh, another wager! Nora, you sly thing! From the way you gave me an earful yesterday, I thought you disapproved so strongly about betting!" She looked at Nora with a wicked gleam in her eye.**_

_**When Patch looked askance at Vee, she bent over to explain, as if telling a juicy bit of gossip, "See, Bella and I had this wager going about my sister's … um… activities…"**_

_**Vee made that sound positively dirty, prompting Nora to intervene with a warning look at her sister, "I'm sure nobody's interested in that, Vee!"**_

_**Patch's mouth lifted at one corner, and he drawled, "Oh, I'm interested alright, in fact, when it comes to you I'm fascinated. What activities were these?" If possible, the way Patch said it, infused it with even more naughty connotations, and Nora kicked Vee to keep her from answering.**_

_**Vee jumped and exclaimed, "Ouch! Nora! What did you do that for? It's not like Patch isn't aware of what you were up to?"**_

_**Nora blushed and evaded Patch's eyes by looking crossly at her big sister, who pouted, "Well, it's your own fault for telling me you got some good action, and then refuse to share the smut! When I tell you everything!"**_

_**Scott came back just in time to hear Vee's last remark and his face lost a shade of color.**_

_**Nora had enough. She slid off the bar-stool and extended a hand to Scott, "Will you dance with me, Scott? We can leave these two heartless creatures to their own devices!"**_

_**Scott smiled, and gratefully accepted Nora's invitation. They took themselves off to the dance floor without looking back.**_

_**"When is Nora supposed to have indulged in these X-rated activities?" Patch asked absently, a furrow between his eyebrows as he watched Nora walking towards the dance floor on Scott's arm.**_

_**Last weekend," Vee answered blithely.**_

_**"Last weekend? But she wasn't…" Patch snapped his mouth shut as the pieces clicked together, and he murmured with a smile, "Oh, I see…" Nothing to worry about, no guy stealing little Nora's virtue...she'd been with Patch, trying to steal his virtue with a kiss, but as much as he would have liked that he still felt she was too close to being a little sister at this point.**_

_**"Oh, you see, do you? Well, I don't see, since nobody ever tells me anything," Vee heaved a frustrated sigh.**_

_**"Maybe that's because you hardly allow anyone to get a word in edgewise?" Patch quipped with a mocking smirk, "I was trying to tell you something, but you just keep interrupting me."**_

_**"Oh, yes, the wager! What's it about then?" Vee wasn't deterred by Patch's sarcasm.**_

_**Patch explained the wager to Vee. Vee was quick to agree, although from what she'd seen so far, she suspected she already knew the inevitable outcome. Nora wouldn't have to worry about choosing her own dress.**_

_**Just as soon as she'd agreed, Patch turned his back on her and started walking away.**_

_**"Hey! Where are you going?" Vee called after him.**_

_**Patch half-turned and said over his shoulder, "What does it look like? I'm going to dance with Nora. I've had enough of watching Nephile deliberately put his hands in all the wrong places!"**_

_**Nora's eyes widened when Patch suddenly appeared next to them and tapped Scott's shoulder. Scott lost track of the steps and stopped dancing haltingly.**_

_**Patch said smoothly, "Scram, playboy! I'm cutting in here!" To Nora he added with a smile, "Miss Grey. This is our song, I believe?"**_

_**Scott was so surprised he let Patch slip into his place without saying a word. Then he shrugged and returned to Vee, avoiding Nora's apologetic look.**_

_**"What do you mean, this is our song? Patch, we don't have a song!" Nora exclaimed, her eyes flashing for a moment at his rude way of shouldering Scott aside.**_

_**Still, she fell into step with his direction quite fluidly, marveling once more at how effortless he guided her, especially after struggling through some of the turns with Scott.**_

_**"Oh, Nora! Every song is our song as long as I get to dance with you!" Patch murmured. "And now you'll have to give your best performance, since Vee is watching us and I don't intend to lose that wager!"**_

_**Before she could say anything in return, he took her hand and started twirling her, making her laugh in genuine delight.**_

_**The enthusiasm and passion of the people dancing around them seemed to saturate the air with living energy, and Nora absorbed its stimulating power, making her feel as though she could dance this way all through the night without ever tiring.**_

_**Her eyes were glowing with giddy excitement as she responded to Patch with a new kind of awareness, enhanced by her realization of being in love with him. She was high on the joy of dancing with him, drunk on his mere presence, blissful because he was touching her and she was touching him…**_

_**Patch was all too conscious of Nora's intense fixation on him: his male senses detected it almost like an electric current crackling between their bodies, raising every hair on his body in reaction.**_

_**He wondered why the attraction seemed suddenly so very much stronger than it had been. He'd always been aware of the chemistry between them, but now… It was all he could do to keep the male in him from surfacing and claiming his best friend for his own. He couldn't, he wouldn't do that, not with Nora. For all the flirting and innuendo's she was like a little sister to him, one he loved to tease and make blush and one he would fight to the death to for. She had no idea the lengths he would go to protect her.**_

_**He had no choice but to sublimate the instinct by channeling it into something else. His best option right now was the music and salsa, and he directed it all at Nora. He adjusted his way of dancing slightly, his hands lingering longer on her bare skin than before. Somehow he succeeded in turning every single touch into a caress that made Nora's body hum with tension until she felt like one of those wind-up toys, ready to uncoil at the lightest touch.**_

_**The band decided to lend a hand by playing a slower Meringue song, and Patch didn't hesitate in pulling Nora as close as possible, closing his eyes for a moment when the friction of her body against his relieved some of the pressure. His hands took advantage of the fact that there was a big expanse of uncovered skin between her skirt and her top, and his fingers drew hypnotizing lines and circles on her warm flesh. For the moment Patch forgot that she was his best friend, that she was so much younger, so innocent still and let him self get lost in it all.**_

_**His surreptitious caresses heated up her exterior and his eyes dark as a starless night burned down into hers with an intensity that reminded Nora of the heart of a flame, and made her feel just as hot inside…**_

_**She was burning up, her insides having turned to jelly under Patch's sensual assault. If not for Patch holding her up, she would have melted into a puddle on the floor by now.**_

_**They were both so completely engrossed in each other that they didn't notice Vee and Scott dancing right next to them. Vee had observed Patch and Nora for a while, unsure about what exactly she was seeing, but not liking it at all. In her eyes, that should be Rixon dancing like that with her sister, not Patch. Patch was the screw up of the family's, the black-sheep, the embarrassment.**_

_**What about Rixon? Vee decided to err on the side of caution and whispered to Scott that she was going to cut in, and he'd have to dance with her sister while she danced with Patch.**_

_**She tapped Nora's shoulder and said chirpily, "Hey, guys, how about we change partners for a while?"**_

_**Nora dazedly let go of Patch, and Scott quickly stepped in.**_

_**Nora shook her head, the spell of dancing with Patch only slowly dissipating. She looked at Scott apologetically and said, "Would you mind sitting this one out, Scott? I feel a bit flushed with the heat in here. I think I'd like to get something to drink," Scott nodded in agreement and took Nora off to the bar.**_

_**"Vee, what do you think you're doing?" Patch demanded.**_

_**Vee halted abruptly right in front of him and bit right back, "No, Patch, what do you think you're doing?"**_

_**Patch cast her a dark look and snarled, "I asked you first!"**_

_**Vee rolled her eyes, and blurted out, "What are we, twelve?" Then she answered anyway, "I'm just trying to protect Nora, Patch. She doesn't know what she's getting herself into by dancing with you."**_

_**Patch lifted one eyebrow, and replied glibly, "Why would she need any protection from me, Vee? After all, we were only dancing!"**_

_**"You call that dancing? My goodness, no wonder you have Nora all…" Vee swallowed the rest of her words, but muttered under her breath, "I did warn her about this, but would she listen?"**_

_**"I have Nora all… what, Vee?" Patch asked. "Not that it is actually any of your business what Nora and I get up to, is it?"**_

_**Vee shook her head, "It so is my business! Nora's my LITTLE sister. I warned her about you, but she just wouldn't believe she was landing herself in hot water. She should have known better though! Look where it got me!"**_

_**Patch shook his head in exasperation. It was no use trying to convince anyone of his good intentions. Apparently the only person who really believed he wasn't a black-hearted villain was Nora herself…**_

"_**It got you saved. You'd be dead if I hadn't saved you that day." Patch remarked drily.**_

_**Vee shook her head. "You didn't do that for me. You only did it for Nora."**_

_**Patch raised his eyebrows, "Thank you for pointing that out, Vee. I did it for Nora. Which proves my point that I don't mean to cause her any pain!"**_

_**Vee took hold of his arms in a last effort to get through to him, "You don't mean to cause her pain, Patch. But you will nevertheless. Because someday soon I'm afraid you'll get bored and she'll get hurt…"**_

_**Patch was already shaking his head, "That's where you're wrong, Vee. I don't do bored where Nora is concerned. You however, are boring me to tears right now."**_

_**He took a step back, extricating himself expediently from her grasp and added, "Which is why I'm sure you'll excuse me for removing my unwanted presence from your company now."**_

_**He knew he was being harsh, which was probably uncalled for considering Vee was only trying to look out for Nora, but he was seething at her for interfering and utterly sick of always being painted as the bad guy. He turned on his heel and stomped outside, leaving Vee to stare at his retreating back in confusion. Then she shrugged and went looking for Scott and Nora.**_

_**When Vee walked up to Scott and Nora at the bar alone, Nora looked first puzzled by Patch's absence, and then alarmed. "Where's Patch, Vee? Is he dancing with someone else?"**_

_**"He can go dance with the devil, for all I care!" Vee was miffed, "The High and Mighty Mr. Cipriano took himself off, Nora, and good riddance too!"**_

_**Nora looked baffled at her sister's uncharacteristic vehemence. Then she asked. "What did you say to him?" She was now standing on tiptoe, her eyes scanning the people on the dance floor and at the randomly scattered tables against the walls. There was no sign of Patch's messy dark hair or his tan complexion anywhere. She looked at Vee again, awaiting her answer with trepidation.**_

_**Vee dropped down onto the bar-stool and pouted, "Yeah, go ahead and worry about the conceited prick whose been your life long best friend instead of supporting me, your SISTER AND lifelong friend. I'm sure he's only sulking somewhere because I gave him a piece of my mind."**_

_**Nora narrowed her eyes at her older sister and repeated, "What did you say, Vee?"**_

_**Vee huffed and said, "Well, no need to get all snippy with me. I was just trying to be a good sister to you, Nora, but I must say that all these mixed signals from you have me totally confused! You know that Patch is going to hurt you, right? And-"**_

_**Before Vee had uttered her last word, Nora had stopped listening and was already on her way out, pushing past the line of people still trying to get in.**_

_**She walked further from the entrance, in the direction of the parking lot, looking around anxiously for Patch.**_

_**It was now fully dark outside. Pretty soon she felt as if she were chasing shadows: her human eyes were ill adapted to search the badly illuminated parking lot, where only sparse streetlights cast a feeble yellow glow over the assorted parked cars.**_

_**Still, she kept walking and scanning the parking lot. She had almost reached Patch's jeep when she heard something. It sounded like a woman's breathy moan…**_

_**She retraced her steps until she noticed a dark passage in between the club and another building. It was too obscure for her to make out what was happening there, and she squinted to see through the darkness.**_

_**She could feel her heart pounding with panic and taste bile rising in her throat. Clapping her hands over her ears to block the sound of the moans, she recoiled, backing away in the direction of the parking lot… until she bumped into something solid. Strong arms wrapped around her torso from behind, like bands of steel, and she opened her mouth to take a deep breath, about to let out a blood curdling scream when a hand clamped over her mouth to silence her, and Patch's soft voice caressed her ear, "I can't leave you alone for a minute, can I? What are you doing outside?"**_

_**"Patch! You scared me!" Nora exhaled in relief when she recognized his familiar voice, and she sagged against him weakly, allowing Patch to wrap his arms around her from behind.**_

_**Patch hugged her against him, murmuring, "I'm sorry for startling you, Angel. But when I couldn't find you… Especially since I discovered there's a rapists that's been hanging around the premises..." There were no words to describe the panic he'd felt when Vee told him Nora had run off alone. **_

_**When Patch was sure that Nora was okay they set off to find Vee and Scott. Vee spotted them and ran up to hug her sister.**_

"_**You scared the shit out of me! Taking off like that when some psycho is on the loose. We're going home right now. Scott and I drove separately so you can ride with me and see Patch tomorrow." She was already dragging Nora towards her car.**_

_**Nora gave one last long glance at Patch over her shoulder, but reassured he was watching to make sure they got to the car safe she followed her sister.**_

_**Vee shoved Nora unceremoniously in her car then went around to get in the driver's seat. As soon as they pulled out of the parking lot, Vee glanced over at her sister. "Okay, babe, spill. What's going on with you and Patch?"**_

_**Nora looked at her, and shrugged. Vee raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Oh, come on, Nora! The way you were dancing and generally carrying on before, all that touchy-feely stuff, those lingering looks. You can't tell me nothings going on there!"**_

"_**Me and Patch..." Nora sighed. "It's complicated."**_

_**Vee looked at her sister with compassion. "It always is."**_

_**She was silent for a minute, and then continued carefully. "But let me take a wild guess and say that the complication in this case has something to do with your age and a certain life long friendship at stake?"**_

_**Nora's shoulders sagged. "Yes. I don't want to hurt Rixon either, but-" She whispered.**_

"_**But you will, and it will hurt him even more if you don't come clean with anyone about your feelings, Nora. That's not how grandma raised us."**_

_**Nora's voice broke as she said quietly. "How am I ever going to be able to tell Rixon that I've fallen in love with his brother!"**_

_**Vee's mouth fell open. **_

"_**Well, what did you think I was going to say?" Nora asked when she saw Vee's reaction.**_

_**Vee swallowed and said quietly. "Honestly? That you and Patch...um..."**_

_**Nora frowned, not understanding. "That we... what? Vee, what?"**_

_**Vee squirmed uncomfortably. "Well, there's this obvious chemistry between you two; everyone can see there's about a gazillion sparks flying. And you don't need to love someone to get down and dirty with him. so..."**_

_**Nora's eyes widened, and she whispered disconcertingly. "What? You thought I slept with him? That I had SEX with him? Vee!" Nora may not have been a total prude but her sister had a vast amount of experience compared to her. Vee wasn't a whore, she didn't put out like other girls, but Nora still had an innocence that Vee lacked.**_

"_**Okay, so you didn't stray from the straight and narrow. Kudos to you, Nora, seeing as it's Patch we're talking about here, but... What?" Vee broke off when Nora blushed and looked down at her hands she was wringing in her lap.**_

_**When Nora didn't answer right away, Vee pressed on. "Come on, what's going on in that pretty little head of yours, babe?"**_

"_**I wanted to, I mean I'm not ready to... I just...I-" Nora was almost glowing in the dark with the heat of her blush.**_

"_**You thought about it. You were curious." Vee finished for her sister who nodded. "That's perfectly natural, Nora. Just don't rush things, it's something that once you lose it you ain't ever getting it back, and this thing with Patch..."**_

"_**I know." Nora cut her off and they drove in silence the rest of the way home, both lost in thought.**_

**"_What are you waiting for, Nora?" Vee's voice broke through the swirl of thoughts in her head as she walked up the stairs to her room._**

**_Nora looked at Vee incredulously, "I need to sort out all this stuff. I can't just jump straight into things with Patch. I've never been IN love with anyone Vee and Patch's my very best friend I can't lose that!"_**

**_Vee shrugged, "I don't see why not. You feel the way you feel. What good will it do to wait?"_**

**_Nora interrupted her, "But what if I'm wrong about how I feel? Or perhaps I should say: wrong again? Rixon was supposed to be forever!" _**

**_"That's what our parents planned out, but you've NEVER felt that way have you?" Vee pursed her lips. "You can't protect yourself from making mistakes like that, Nora. You need to put your heart on the line. Love is all about taking risks. You only live once, and your life can be over quicker than you know. I can certainly attest to that! Seize the day, that's my motto!"_**

**_"Seize the day…" Nora repeated thoughtfully. "So you think I should just go for it?"_**

**_Vee hesitated but then she said, "For what it's worth… and I never would have thought I would hear myself say this, but I don't think you are making a mistake, Nora. I know I've always supported mom and dad and it's going to look like that still, but grandma's right, you need to follow your heart, sis._**


	6. Chapter 6 WIN OR LOSE IT HURTS

Okay, so this chapter completes the dancing. Things are going to change in a big way...again for these two. Life can never be easy, right? There's a lot more going on here than only dancing. If you want more let me know! Reviews are always helpful to any author on here, positive welcome, negative critique-okay, flames NO NO'S.

** ON ANOTHER NOTE CHECK OUT FAXalltheway-she has two fanfictions going I want to give a shout out for, one on Maximum Ride and another crossover...check them out :)

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><p><span><em><strong>CHAPTER 6<strong>_

_**WINNING OR LOSING IT ALL HURTS THE SAME**_

_**He wasn't immune to her physically at least, Nora knew that for sure now, but that was all she was afraid it would ever be with them. She tried harder to protect her heart a little more, as much as she possible could with how she felt about him now. It made her very very nervous. He could never know unless she was absolutely sure he felt the same way. If this was all she ever got she was going to take full advantage of it, even if she did have a contest yet to win, and she knew he was going to continue to push her harder and harder. She just hoped her heart was up to it.**_

_**When Nora came home from school, she raced up the stairs to her room. She'd received a text from Patch, telling her that he was back in town after a week away (not a moment too soon) and that he'd left her a little present in her room. Of course he had to send that text during first period, so she'd be on edge all day.**_

_**Nora found a dress, hidden in a nest of crackling tissue paper in a long white cardboard box that was laying on her bed with a ruby-red rose tucked into the ribbon. She hurried to the bed to untie the ribbon and lift the lid from the box. The dress was black as midnight, made of a velvety fabric, and strewn with tiny glittering stones, as if it had been sprinkled with fairy dust. There were also two combs for her hair, set with bigger sparkling stones. Nora fell in love with it instantly.**_

_**When she grabbed her phone to call Patch, it had already started buzzing, Patch's name came up on the display, as if she'd conjured his attention just by thinking of him. She picked up the phone and cooed with a smile, "Honey, you're home! And you brought me a present!"**_

_**Patch chuckled, amused, "You like it?"**_

_**"Oh, yes! It's perfect! Simply divine!" She exclaimed, fingering the soft material of the dress. "What are you going to wear? We'll be color coordinated, I hope?"**_

_**"You'll just have to wait and see!" Came his answer, she could practically hear the mischievous gleam she was sure he was wearing in his eyes knowing how she hated to wait.**_

_**The contest would be held outside the Mayor's Mansion, the venue of most Coldwater Creek events. The garden looked beautiful in the falling dusk; and soon it would be romantically lit by countless paper lanterns in many shapes and hues that were scattered throughout the trees. A big dance floor had been laid out on the lawn, and next to it was a raised daïs that held some chairs for the musicians; two men were already there, tuning their instruments. When Nora arrived with her mom and dad, she passed right by them, and she thought she recognized some of the musicians from the salsa café she'd visited with Patch, Vee and Scott.**_

_**Mr. Grey was already there, his hair sticking on end, and looking hounded as he ran around with a clipboard and fussed with the numbers that would be worn by the men. Looking at him one would never guess he was a day over twenty-five. Her mom headed over to him immediately, and Nora made for the house, toting her dress in a garment bag over her shoulder and her shoes in another bag over her arm.**_

_**She slipped into her dress, taking care not to mess up her hairdo. Vee had helped her to style it, almost frying her hair with the curling iron in the process. The curls had been swept up, and fixed with the combs, leaving her long neck tantalizingly bare. One single curl had been left out of the pinned up mass to frame her face.**_

_**She stepped in front of the mirror. The dress was lovely. The dark color complemented her now sun-kissed skin to perfection, and the shimmering little stones caught the light, relieving the stark black of the dress and giving off sparks when she moved, almost as if the fabric dotted with tiny twinkling stars. The neckline was heart-shaped and plunged very deep, revealing the tops of her breasts and hinting at the valley between them. It was held up by a halter that tied at the back of her neck.**_

_**She turned, craning her neck to look over her shoulder and blushed a little. Wearing a bra underneath was out of the question: there was no back to the dress whatsoever and it dipped very low, baring her back as far as the curve of her bottom, where the skirt flared out. There was just a bit of skirt in front, but it was longer in the back, not quite reaching the back of her knees. The dress fit her body like a glove, the stretchy fabric accentuating her curvy figure – trust her best friend to know her measurements better than she knew them herself!**_

_**She was just putting on her dancing shoes when her sister walked into the dressing room. Her hair was a mass of little curls, bouncing loosely about her face, and she was wearing a glittering emerald bustier-style dress held up by threads crisscrossing her back and a short, multi-layered skirt. And matching green shoes, of course. Vee was nothing if not thorough when it came to color-coordinating.**_

_**"You look lovely, Vee." Nora said honestly, admiring her sister's sexy outfit. Vee might be a few pounds past curvy, but she knew how to dress them right to accent them so they didn't look anything less than sensual. **_

_**Vee twirled around and smiled as she sat down in front of the mirror to put the last touches on her make-up. "You look gorgeous too, Nora. I guess I should compliment Patch on his excellent taste," she commented with a teasing smile, "Trust him to pick a dress that will fall straight off your body when you pull just the one ribbon!"**_

_**Nora ignored her little jibe. She was ready by now, having checked her lipstick and mascara, and the nerves struck with a vengeance. She suddenly realized that she and Patch hadn't danced in almost a week! Horrific images started dancing through her mind, of her falling on her face on these shoes, of forgetting the steps…**_

_**"Nora! Stop with the pacing already! You're making my head spin," Vee commented, watching Nora in the mirror as she rummaged through her bag for her lipstick.**_

_**"I'm nervous, Vee. I can't help it!" Nora replied, hearing the tremor in her own voice that was a sure sign of her inner turmoil. "My body's as tense as-"**_

_**"Why didn't you get rid of that tension before coming here?" Vee interrupted, pursing her lips to apply her lipstick.**_

_**"Huh?" Nora stopped wearing out the carpet long enough to cast an inquiring glance at her sister, not picking up on the wicked gleam in Vee's eyes.**_

_**"S-e-x, Nora! How long has it been since you did the bump and grind?" Vee wiped the excess lipstick on a tissue and critically regarded herself in the mirror, pretending to be serious with her naïve little sister who still hadn't picked up on the underlying humor in her voice.**_

_**Finally Nora caught on to the teasing and rolled her eyes at her sister's back, "You really have a one-track mind, Vee!"**_

_**"Hello? Teenager here. This pretty exterior". Vee indicated her body with a flick of her hand, "-is just a facade for something that's essentially a raging sea of hormones!" She cautiously applied another layer of mascara.**_

_**Nora snorted, "Well, I think my sex life is none of your business!" Thinking if Vee only knew she was saving herself for Patch even though she knew he hadn't reached the point that he saw her as more than a sibling who had just developed a body he admired like art...not as a girlfriend...yet...she still had hope.**_

_**"Oh, it so is my business if you're gonna make me all nervous with your pacing. I'll have you know that I was completely Zen when I got here, all my chakra's aligned, or whatever they call it, and now you're messing them up!"**_

_**"You and Scott are an item, then? Good for you!" Nora said, glad to get her sister off her own case. The last she had known Scott and her had fought over something to do with Rixon.**_

_** She'd forgotten how persistent Vee could be, "Oh, yes! Nothing like hot make-up sex after a good fight. You should try it sometime!"**_

_**Nora was saved from receiving any more of Vee's wisdom by the Mayor's wife, who'd walked into the dressing room, and was now looking at Vee with a frown. She'd probably overheard her big sister's last statement, but she wisely didn't comment on it. She made a shooing motion with her hand and said, "Come on, girls! Don't dawdle. The others are waiting. We're about to start. Your dance partners are already downstairs, but we're going to let you come down from up here. I think it's prettier that way. When I call your name, you walk down the stairs, and your partner will lead you out onto the floor, okay?" Like their parents, it was all about appearance.**_

_**Vee and Nora nodded and joined the rest of the women at the top of the stairs. Nora recognized some other girls from their school and some outsiders. All in all there were about 20 women milling about at the top of the stairs. One by one the names were called, and they went downstairs, all of them teetering dangerously on high heels.**_

_**Then her sister's name was called. "Miss Vee Grey and Mr. Parnell". Nora told Vee sincerely, "Good luck, Vee!" and her sister gave her a thumbs up in return, carefully going down to a waiting Scott.**_

_**And finally it was Nora's turn. She wasn't just nervous for the contest, but also because she hadn't seen Patch for five days now. Would everything still feel the same? Would he look at her any differently than he'd done last week? She squared her shoulders and walked to the top of the stairs. Only one way to find out.**_

_**When the mayor called out the last names on her list, "Miss Nora Grey and Mr. Cipriano". Nora gripped the banister tightly, descending gingerly on her high heels. She rounded the curve of the stairs and her eyes alighted on Patch immediately, standing at the bottom step. The only thing she really saw were his eyes, a glittering midnight black, never wavering from her face as he stood looking up at her solemnly.**_

_**Suddenly one corner of his lips quirked up in that sexy half-smile that always made her knees weak. It immediately dispelled all her fears that anything might have changed for the worse between them, and she returned it with a broader smile of her own. Only then did his eyes drift down to take in her dress, and when he extended his arm so she could put her hand on it, there was open admiration in his gaze. Admiration she reminded herself, not a wedding proposal.**_

_**"You look absolutely stunning, Miss Grey." He murmured, as he gave her a courteous little bow. His voice was a little deeper than usual, as if it was fraught with some emotion she couldn't immediately put a name to.**_

_**"You don't look too bad yourself, Mr. Cipriano. You dress to impress." She whispered back with a wink, taking in his scandalously tight black pants and close-fitting silk shirt as she came down the last steps. **_

_**She smiled when she saw that the black shirt didn't have any buttons. The deep V left a wide expanse of his bronze skin bare, displaying the rippling muscles of his chest. It was tucked into a broad black sash that tied around his waist and dusted with the same sparkling fairy powder as her dress. The sash, the casually rolled up shirtsleeves and his ruffled hair that fell rakishly over his forehead gave him the appearance of a dashing pirate out on the town. Nora closed her mouth before she drooled all over him.**_

"_**No, Nora, I UNdress to impress." Patch said in a seductive voice with a smirk on his face.**_

_**When no one was looking Nora slapped him on the arm, telling him to behave, something she knew was impossible for him to do.**_

_**They walked onto the terrace, and joined the couples spread out on the dance floor, listening as Mrs. 'Mayor' welcomed everyone, and then presented the jury. It consisted of herself as the president (of course! She'd never pass up on an opportunity to stand in the spotlight, Nora thought), a smiling couple who were the reigning regional Latin champions, and finally… Nora started when her eyes fell on the petite, curvaceous figure of Karlotta.**_

_**The Latin dancer was garbed much like the last time, during their dancing lesson in town, in a mini skirt and a halter-top, and wearing impossibly high heels. She was smiling broadly, and blatantly ogling Patch. Nora's grip on Patch's arm tightened a little, and only when he looked down at her with a question in his eyes, did she realize that her nails were digging into his skin, leaving half-moon imprints that vanished as soon as she raised her hand.**_

_**"Everything all right?" He mouthed, watching her intently.**_

_**"Just nerves," She replied, and he put his other hand reassuringly on top of hers, his thumb massaging her palm in lazy circles.**_

_**"Remember what I told you? Just imagine the jury without any clothes," He cast a sideways glance at the four members of the jury, and frowned, "On second thought, scratch that. Just picture me naked and you'll do fine!"**_

_**Nora half turned to curiously look at the jury again. That was when she saw the gorgeous guy who was the regional Latin champion. He was candidly examining the scantily dressed women on the dance floor, and she smiled in amusement at Patch's sudden change of heart (he wasn't jealous, surely?), thereby drawing the man's gaze. He noticed her looking at him and boldly raked his eyes over her figure, sending her an appreciative smile. Nora felt Patch stiffen next to her, his arm under her fingers going rock hard as his muscles tensed, and a menacing growl rumbled deep in his chest.**_

_**Patch already regretted directing Nora's attention to the jury. That posturing douche-bag better watch out where he put his eyes! Okay, so he'd gifted Nora with a rather daring dress, but that didn't mean that pompous asshat had the right to mentally strip her even of that barely there garment! Reflexively he pulled her in closer, one hand sliding behind her to rest on the velvety skin at the small of her back. She was HIS Angel.**_

_**Nora was all too aware of his hand caressing her naked back, and she turned towards him, her warm hand making contact with his bare chest. For a second she was lost in contemplating the contrast of her ivory skin against his golden one, transfixed by the temperature difference between them as her body heat was absorbed by his cool flesh.**_

_**But when she looked up to meet his eyes, his gaze was hot and possessive, almost melting her into a puddle on the floor. She swallowed under his intense look: the heat in his eyes was almost tangible, a warm glow that nevertheless made her break out in goose bumps. God, she hoped she wasn't imagining all of this, that it wasn't just her mind playing tricks on her that he really was looking at her like that.**_

_**Patch fought the urge to drag Nora away from the dance floor and into the first room he could find that had a lock on the door to keep everyone out. He hadn't realized that it'd be this hard to keep himself under control after five days of not seeing her. Sparks would most definitely be flying once they got dancing! He forced his attention back to the stage, and sent the country oaf that had dared to ogle Nora in such a lewd way a scathing look. If he wasn't allowed to look at her that way no one else could either.**_

_**Nora's dad passed the microphone to Karlotta, who was explaining the contest rules in her lilting, accented English. The participants would all start dancing at once, and the jury would walk around and observe. After a while they would start eliminating couples from the contest, while the others kept dancing. The couple that was still dancing in the end would be the winner, and would be invited to attend the regional finals for professional dancers in the fall and get a year's free access to a salsa club of their choice.**_

_**"And remember," she ended her little speech, a lascivious note entering her throaty voice, "This is a Latin dance, which means that it is all about the sex. So please, use your bodies and this wonderful music to the best of your ability to make us enjoy the show!"**_

_**Mr. Grey scowled and bent sideways to whisper something in Karlotta's ear that was probably something along the lines of that last statement being totally inappropriate, because many of the participants were still minors. Karlotta just shrugged it off in a very Latin gesture of indifference, and Nora found herself liking the salsa teacher for her outspoken candor (only a very little bit, mind!).**_

_**The audience had gathered around the dance floor by now, and Nora spotted her mom who was joined now by her dad, standing right at the edge of the floor, together with Angelo and Bella. She smiled at them, and Bella raised her two thumbs to wish her luck.**_

_**Patch then turned Nora with her back to him, and locked one arm around her waist, pulling her pliant body flush against his own. She leaned her head back, and tried to relax her tense muscles as he guided her free arm slowly upwards so her hand was behind his neck.**_

_**Patch's lips brushed the shell of her ear, easily accessible with her hair up like that, and he whispered, "You'll do fine, Nora. Trust me. We're going to win this thing!" He paused and added dryly, "Otherwise I can always just chain the jury in hell!"**_

_**Nora's lips curled in a little smile. Patch always knew how to make her feel less stressed out. On her heels, she was almost of a height with him, and she turned her head to rub her cheek against his jaw, inhaling the mix of expensive cologne and Patch's own spicy scent.**_

_**Then the music started and the on looking crowd fell silent.**_

_**Only a single musician was playing at first, a mesmerizing, haunting melody that wove its magic around the couples on the dance floor, their movements slow and sensual in response to the compelling tune. Patch slid his fingertips down Nora's raised arm, and further down the side of her breast, and Nora exhaled slowly, feeling his languid touch settle in her bones.**_

_**Then his hands settled on her waist in a firm grip, guiding her hips into slow gyrations, moving his own in sync with her for a few beats. She slowly sank down, bending her knees, rotating her bottom so she was almost but not quite touching his pants. She put her hands behind her, splaying her fingers on his thighs as she slid them downwards.**_

_**As she slowly rose up again, her hands were rubbing the fabric snugly spanning his thighs. He raised her arms in the air and slowly spun her around, turning her to face him, and their eyes locked. Her nerves were gone at that point, and she lost herself in the dance as more musicians started playing and the music was swelling in intensity.**_

_**"My God, what is she doing out there?" Bella whispered furiously to Angelo who was standing next to her. Both of them had their eyes glued to just one couple on the dance floor.**_

_**"She's dancing, Bella. You know, when people move their bodies to the music?" Angelo answered with a wry smile. **_

_**Nora's mom who was standing with them rolled her eyes, without taking them off the dance floor. "No need to be sarcastic, Angelo. You've definitely been spending too much time around Patch. You're beginning to sound like him," she huffed. "Besides, that isn't dancing. That's-" She hesitated, looking for a strong enough word, "It's making out in public! When did they get so cozy? In fact, why is she doing this with Patch of all people?"**_

_**Angelo sighed, silently cursing Nora for not clueing her parents in on her change in romantic feelings. He didn't feel like explaining the new couple dynamics in the strange relation that Nora had with the Cipriano brothers, so he just said, "Rixon didn't feel like it, I guess."**_

_**"So of course Patch is game for it," Mr. Grey scowled. "God, he's all over her! He's worse than a rash!"**_

_**"Fair's fair, Mr. Grey She's all over him too!" Angelo felt like he owed it to Patch to defend his friend, though the lord knew why he would want to. Patch could take care of himself, after all. His eyes returned to the dance floor as the drums joined in and the rhythm changed, suddenly picking up speed and whipping the dancers into a frenzy.**_

_**Complying with the tempo change in the music, Patch took a firm hold on Nora's hand and twirled her faster. Her skirt flared out to brush his legs and she laughed, pure joy coursing through her veins with her heated blood.**_

_**Nora was very aware of Patch, of his body, more than she ever had been before, following his directions almost intuitively, as if she knew what he intended to do before he adroitly steered her into a spin, a turn, a dip. When a full turn forced her to break eye contact with him, she immediately sought it again afterwards, her eyes like iron filing drawn by his magnetic gaze, to excluding all else.**_

_**They danced like they had just one mind, smoothly and effortlessly gliding from one movement into the other, their bodies completely attuned to one another.**_

_**The members of the jury slowly circled the dance floor, attentively observing the dancing couples. When all of them had made a full circuit around the floor, they came together and whispered for a few moments, agreeing on the couples they would remove from the contest. They quickly agreed, and Karlotta elegantly weaved her way through the dancers to carefully tap five men on the shoulder. They stopped dancing and left the floor. Then the jury started on another round.**_

_**Vee and Scott were dancing next to Patch and Nora, and Vee smiled to Scott as she noticed they were still on the floor. Yay! They'd survived the first elimination! She concentrated on swaying her hips and on guiding Scott through one of the more complex moves that they had practiced last week. Her poor baby was having a little trouble following, but it was a good thing that Vee didn't mind taking the lead (and not just on the dance floor, she added with a mental chuckle).**_

_**When she stole a quick glance at Patch and Nora next to her, she couldn't help but grin at her little sister. **_

_**Her eyes strayed to Karlotta, who was observing them with a tiny furrow between her brows, as if she too noticed something different there. Or perhaps she just wanted to dance with Patch herself, Vee thought gleefully. Instead she was stuck here as a jury member, forced to observe and not take part in something she obviously loved. Her benevolent feelings towards the salsa teacher evaporated quickly as the woman turned her sharp-eyed gaze on her and Scott. Vee forgot all about Patch and Nora, trying her best to keep them in the contest just a little longer.**_

_**The second round was soon finished, and again the jury conferred, selecting five more couples that were asked to abandon the contest. Nora and Patch didn't pay these proceedings any attention at all, wrapped up as they were in each other.**_

_**Nora's face was radiant as Patch spun her out in a flurry of fast movement. It felt so incredibly good to be dancing like this with the man you loved. She resolved then and there to tell Patch she loved him as soon as possible. It wasn't fair to keep him hanging like this, especially when she was in absolutely no doubt about her own feelings anymore! Now if only he felt the same…**_

_**When Nora looked at him with the certainty of her new resolution in her mind, Patch had the indefinable feeling that something had changed between them. Granted, he hadn't seen her for a few days, but if anything, she seemed even more susceptible to him than she had before. Perhaps it was that absence, she was still growing up. But her eyes were shining with something he didn't dare put a name to.**_

_**He felt suddenly light-headed, almost as if he was drunk on her presence alone (because he sure as hell hadn't been drinking!). It was a balmy night, and Nora was starting to sweat with the exertion, a fine sheen of perspiration appearing on her forehead. His nostrils flared as he inhaled the scent that made him think of their bodies moving as one in an altogether different dance. **__NO! You can't think of her like that, being with her like that! She's too young, too innocent, too pure...too...She's your BEST FRIEND for Christ sakes! Pull yourself together Patch!__** He was going to have to do something about this, get them back on track, his emotions and urges in check.**_

_**God, but he needed to touch her, if only to remind himself that she was real, and that she was really there in his arms. He would allow himself this one last sin before putting a stop to everything. As he had done at the salsa club, Patch adjusted his movements, using their momentum of spinning her out and pulling her back, twisting and turning, to caress her, preferably where her skin wasn't covered by fabric. To his delight, the backless dress offered him plenty of opportunity for that. One of the reasons he'd figured that the dress would look very good on her was her gracefully curved backside. So he surreptitiously skimmed his fingers down her spine as Nora swiveled her hips, and she gave him a teasing, come-hither smile, as if she knew exactly what he was doing there, her hands slipping off his shoulder to rest on his half-bared chest instead. Lost in the dance, Patch and Nora were blissfully unaware of anything surrounding their private little island of happiness. The audience might as well not have been present, and the jury that had just eliminated another five couples was the farthest thing from their minds. There was just them and the music, the music that was slowing down again, gradually morphing into a more dreamy melody. The atmosphere changed, turning sultry and almost brooding as the last five couples left on the dance floor adjusted their rhythm accordingly and clung to each other, grinding together as the melody seemed to dictate.**_

_**Patch slowly pulled Nora's body closer to his, fitting their hips together and keeping her motionless for an instant, one hand pressed into the small of her back, the other caressing her neck. She put her hands flat against his chest, balancing herself on her toes. They were almost nose-to-nose now, their bodies only inches apart, with Nora still panting after the fast salsa tempo. When Patch parted his lips to share her breath, Nora made a tiny sound deep in her throat and inhaled deeply, all of a sudden craving air desperately. His eyes dipped automatically in response, following the long line of her throat down to her heaving chest, taking in the sheen of perspiration coating her skin.**_

_**Nora found that air was still in short supply as his eyes lingered there, making a spike of longing shoot through her body. She moistened her lips by running her tongue over them as she breathlessly awaited his next move. He rolled his hips against hers, his hands firm on her waist, and she moved with him. Then he gave her a wicked grin, and she felt one of his hands slip further down, following the curve of her hips down to her leg. He gripped her thigh and raised it a little ways. She lifted one eyebrow in reply to his dare, and hooked her leg behind his, leaning back a little while keeping a firm hold on his upper arms.**_

_**Patch's smile widened as he slid one leg in between hers so she was almost sitting on his thigh, and bent her over backwards, one hand supporting her lower back to keep her from falling over. She leaned back into his hand, fully trusting him to keep her up, even when he let go of her leg and brought his free hand up to lightly drag his fingers down her throat. Although the action didn't take long at all, Nora felt suspended in time as he splayed his fingers wide, brushing his hand over her cleavage, and smoothing it down her belly. His fingers stroked down her raised leg a little ways, and then returned to her waist to bring her back up again.**_

_**When she was standing upright, their eyes met. The air between them almost crackled as if it was charged with electricity and Nora bit her lip. He sent her a heated look full of promise, and then raised her arm to send her in a slow spin before locking one arm around her, pulling her back against him, almost going back to the way they had stood when the dance had begun. His timing was impeccable, because that's when the drums gave a last roll and the music stopped...**_

_**In the sudden silence, you could hear a pin drop. Then a thunderous applause broke loose, intruding on their intimacy and startling Nora out of her imaginary bubble.**_

_**Dazed, she looked around, only now noticing that she and Patch were the only two people left on the big wooden floor. He unclasped his arms and released her, and she turned around to stare at him in wide-eyed wonder.**_

_**Patch gave her his lopsided smile and raised one eyebrow, "I don't have to cast the jury out, it seems. Congratulations, Miss Grey. You won the salsa contest!"**_

_**"No, Patch, we won the salsa contest," Nora protested. Then the reality of their victory finally got through to her, and she giddily wound her arms around his neck to hug him tight, "We did it, Patch!"**_

_**"There's a 'we' now?" He asked, sounding almost breathless.**_

_**She looked into his eyes, as crystal clear and azure as the ocean, and smiled softly, "Oh, there is, Mr. Cipriano. There most definitely is!" **__If you only knew__**...Nora smiled to herself. There was no way she would give up now. She'd go to hell and back for Patch. **_**He'd have to wait for her to grow up a little more, mature a little more, but she'd make it worth it.**

_**Patch just laughed joyfully, lifting her off the floor to spin them around, making her giggle merrily as the applause wound down. He let her down by sliding her body down his own only when the Mayor's wife approached them, holding a pristine, white envelope in one hand.**_

**She congratulated them, a speculative in her eyes that didn't escape Patch's notice. A tight knot formed in his stomach. Shit was going to hit the fan if anything happened between him and Nora and he couldn't let Nora go through that...**

**Mr. Grey had prepared a lengthy speech about the importance of these kinds of events for their little town, that neither Patch nor Nora (or anybody else in the audience for that matter) really paid any attention. Afterwards, the musicians started playing again, and the floor quickly filled up with people who felt like trying their hand at some of those moves they'd just seen.**

_**As soon as Nora left the dance floor, a smiling Vee intercepted her. There was a little edge to her voice however when she said, "Congratulations, Nora! Even though you had a totally unfair advantage with a dance partner like that! Still, Scott and me ended in the last five, so I'm not mad at you."**_

_**Nora laughed at her sister. "Thank you, Vee. I knew that you and Scott would do great! You'll have to dance another one to show me, because I didn't see you during the contest."**_

**"That's certainly true," Vee winked, "I daresay you didn't see anything during the contest. At least, you didn't see anything that wasn't a gorgeous, sharp-eyed devil all in black who goes bump in the night!**

_**Nora blushed a little, and Vee went on, "Yes, I'd be blushing too. Unlike you, I snuck a look at the competition during the contest. You two made my ears turn red, and that's saying something!"**_

**"We were just dancing, Vee!" Nora defended herself weakly.**

**"I'm sure you were." Her sister loved Nora's reactions when she poked fun at her, "But let me tell you, that was the kind of dancing you have to get married after!"**

**Vee snickered at Nora's startled expression. "Just don't be surprised if everybody now thinks that you and Patch are an item for sure..." She looked over Nora's shoulder, and saw Bella and Shadow approaching them, along with their parents and Patch's with a couple she didn't recognize who had a woman Patch and her age with them who had to be their daughter. **

**She was the most beautiful woman Nora had ever seen. Suddenly she was very insecure and on guard, she had a bad bad feeling about this new woman something about her spelled TROUBLE she mused to herself before going back to listening to Vee."And maybe not all of them are quite ready to wish you a happy ever after with him..."**

"**That was downright scandalous, Nora! Do you know the kind of reputation a girl will get dancing with a man like that! And with Patch! That should have come with a NC-17 rating! I can't have you becoming the talk of the town like this...Rixon never would have allowed you to flaunt yourself like that, that wasn't dancing, that was foreplay!" Mrs. Grey ranted.**

"**You're the one's who helped organize this contest, the one's who came up with the idea!" Nora bit back. "Who cares about my reputation? Oh, yeah, YOU do!" Nora hated the way she sounded like a spoiled kid throwing a fit, but dammit she had worked hard for this moment.**

"**Oh you'll care plenty when you end up pregnant, knocked up by some no good worthless piece of...do I need to go over the birds and bee's with you, Nora, do I?" Her mom continued.**

"**No, you don't because SOMEONE ELSE took care of that little talk a LONG time ago when you were too busy to do it yourself, too occupied with yourselves to do it!" Nora's voice took on a dangerous edge even though her cheeks were turning bright red at the memory of that particular talk. She'd been on a weekend trip tagging along with Patch and her grandma when she'd started to bleed. She panicked, thinking she was dying. She'd gone to Patch asking if he had a band-aid to put on it...Oh God...the humiliation when he'd explained to her what was happening, what was causing the bleeding which led to how babies are created since her parents hadn't taken the time to teach her, Patch did. Her mom could have prevented her panic and embarrassment by taking fifteen minutes to explain things BEFORE they happened, but no, she probably hadn't even noticed that Nora had grown and was developing. Grandma Clista had arrived back at the hotel room just in time to catch the last part of Patch's talk with her granddaughter. She'd eavesdropped to make sure he covered all the bases and kept it appropriate. As always he'd done just that, proving once again that Clista could trust her wild-child surrogate grandson. Stud or not when it came to Nora he would do the right thing every time.**

**Nora had enough of listening to her mom's judgments about Patch and she was in no mood for the second part of the lecture which was sure to involve how much better his brother was, how respectable he was, what a good couple they would make...blah blah blah**

**She looked around for Patch but he was nowhere to be found...until she started scanning the dance floor. It was easy to spot him then, because he was dancing... and there was a wide circle around him and his current dance partner.**

_**Nora wasn't all that surprised to see it was the wily Karlotta. Every charitable feeling she'd had for the Cuban dancer disappeared as soon as she saw her twining her curvaceous body around Patch, clinging to him like a vine as they executed the now familiar salsa moves. Patch did seem to make an effort to keep her at arms' length, but she of course would have none of it!**_

**Nora's eyes narrowed as she observed them, silently simmering for a minute, until she suddenly had enough. Remembering how Patch had once interrupted her dance with Scott, she marched onto the dance floor, wending her way through the dancing couples, and tapped Karlotta on the shoulder.**

_**When the woman looked up in surprise, Nora smiled sweetly, and said, "I'm so sorry for cutting in here, but this is our song…" She looked at Patch as if daring him to comment. He raised an eyebrow, but wisely refrained from saying anything.**_

_**Karlotta raised one eyebrow knowingly, but she did back off, though she couldn't help a sly remark, "The kitten has grown herself some claws, it seems…"**_

**Nora raised one brow haughtily, "Yes, and she's not afraid to show them either!"**

_**Karlotta surprised Nora by smiling and winking, "Good for you, niña! You should fight for what you want!"**_

_**When Nora's jaw dropped, she added in a whisper, "Take good care of him, niña. This one is a keeper…" She blew Patch a kiss, and then she turned on her heel and sashayed off the dance floor, a good number of admiring male glances openly following her progress.**_

_**Patch was looking at Nora with an odd expression on his face, but she didn't have time to interpret it before it was gone, replaced by his familiar smirk, "The kitten has grown into a tiger, more like."**_

_**His arms came around her, pulling her closer as he gave her a wolfish grin, "Did you just do the equivalent of pissing on me to mark your territory?"**_

_**As they started swaying to the music, Nora tried her best to look censorious at the expression he'd used, but her twitching mouth betrayed her true feelings.**_

_**"What if I did?" She replied saucily.**_

_**"Don't get me wrong, I like you like this," Patch drawled. "I'm just surprised to discover the unexpected wild side of my innocent Nora…" **_

_**There is hope after all, Nora mused, looking at the sexy smirk he was giving her that she was sure was making all kinds of naughty promises to her, promises he hadn't covered in his birds and bee's talk. They hadn't had the 'are we an official couple/where do we go from here' talk yet, but she was sure they were on the same page headed down the same path together.**_

_**Then her eyes broke from his just long enough for her to witness the end of her perfect bubble sashaying her way. She'd completely forgotten about the new girl she had spotted with their parents, the one that gave her that sense of evil darkness and doom. The one that sent off flares warning of danger on the horizon...**_


	7. Chapter 7 - DABRIA

_**CHAPTER 7**_

_**DABRIA**_

**Nora watched in what would later seem like slow motion as her and Patch's parents descended on them. It was as if they somehow knew that Patch and Nora had just found happiness of a different kind together, the kind that comes from the heart and not from the bank account. The Cipriano's and Grey's had a way of seeking and destroying anything that might vary from what they wanted, especially when it came to money and reputation. What they had wanted was Vee with Patch, Rixon with Nora. Vee and Patch would go to business school, take over for their dad's place and continue to lead their family's in building money and prestige upon retirement. Rixon and Nora would both be successful, work in the family business and be model socialites. **

**It hadn't been long after all kids enrolled in private school and other activities together that they knew Patch was going to be a problem. He was smart as they came, and twice as much trouble, the older he got the more he rebelled and the worse he became. He was an embarrassment to his parents and by extension, the Grey's as well. That kind of reputation and behavior would not bode well for their social status so he was shunned to focus on Rixon, Rixon they thought could do no wrong making him perfect for taking over for Mr. Cipriano. Vee, by hierarchy, should have been the one expected to take over for Mr. Grey, that dream faded with the hopes for Patch when her grades turned out average while Nora's were honor's. Blythe tried to push Vee, but her oldest daughter was more artistic than scholarly. The focus became set on Rixon and Nora. Both having quieter personalities that made the pressure their parents put on them more effective. Rixon had a sense of duty and Nora a sense of guilt. Both were heavy crosses for children to carry. Grandma Clista often stepped in on her grand-kids behalf and as Patch grew he tried to cushion any blow he could to Nora's sense of family responsibility. Like Clista, he wanted each of them to follow after their own hopes and dreams, if that was taking over than that was fine, but it should be by their own accord not their parents. Had they been willing to invest time into their kids they likely would have put a stop to Patch and Nora's friendship, he was a bad influence, but with grandma being the main caretaker when they were young she wasn't about to let that happen. **

**It had become clear in the last year though that little Nora wasn't wanting any part of marrying Rixon, without her agreeing Mr. and Mrs. Cipriano and Mr. and Mrs. Grey's hopes would fly out the window. Since Nora hadn't been dating anyone else they could only come up with one reason she wasn't interested in young Rixon. Patch. When the dance contest had started and they had found out Nora was involved and enjoying it so much they wrongly assumed she'd finally come to her sense's and was at last spending time with her 'future husband'. The competition had just blown that right out of the water and it was clear to everyone present, especially their parents, that they now had legitimate worries that things were heating up and changing between Patch and Nora. They weren't aware of the internal struggle Patch was having over seeing Nora as a sister and seeing her as something more. Compared to the women he was used to Nora was still a child, but was she really? He was confused and it wasn't like he could talk to them about it.**

**As soon as Nora stormed away to find Patch the four parents met. They needed to act and they need to act ****_now_****. There was another prominent family in the area who did business with both the Cipriano's and the Grey's. They were at least as wealthy and of good social graces as the four of them. They also just happened to have a daughter the same age as Patch who had just returned home from school abroad. If they could lure Patch away from Nora their plans for Rixon and her could be fulfilled and Patch would be out of their hair so to speak. This would work even better since it would now combine the assets of the three largest family's, not just the two, that was exciting and too good for them to pass up. If Patch was preoccupied they could work their magic on the younger children, both would feel obligated and it wasn't like Rixon wasn't willing, he'd always had it bad for Nora, who'd 'unfairly' not given him a chance. She was a smart girl, they were convinced that she would do the right thing, the right thing being their thing. This seemed like a great plan so they went about setting it in motion immediately. With all the 'who's who' in Coldwater Creek in attendance it wasn't hard to find the third family and arrange an introduction. Their only fear was that Patch wouldn't fall for the young girl, that was until they saw her.**

**Catching Nora and Patch's attention they told them they had a family/business associate they wanted them to meet. This was nothing new for them, they were always being introduced to 'important' people. To begin with Patch just rolled his eyes at Nora over another greeting, tightening his hold on her waist when they mentioned they had a daughter for him to greet his age. That was until the couple's daughter, Dabria, made her presence known by stepping out from where she had been hidden from view behind her parents. **

**Dabria smiled sweetly at Nora, reaching to shake her hand while shooting her razor edge daggers of ice with her eyes. She'd noticed Patch and she'd already decided to move in for the kill. Nora never would have believed it had she not seen it for herself, in an instant she knew she had lost her heart, her everything, ****_her_**** Patch...forever. **

**Patch quickly unwrapped himself from around Nora as Dabria extended her dainty little hand to Patch, who immediately bowed his head, raising it to his lips and kissing the back of it in a way that made Dabria giggle and Nora want to puke, cry, or maybe both. Patch quickly introduced Nora as his best friend, explaining how they had been friends since they were very young children and had just won the salsa competition. As he continued to 'assure' Dabria of their 'friendship' Nora stopped listening having spotted a look in Patch's eyes and an expression on his face that she had never seen before. It looked awfully close to the one he had started to wear when looking at her in the last couple weeks. This was a blown up look at it though, no reservations, no holding back.**

**Patch was a total goner, this tramp had already won the heart of the only man she loved the only man she knew she would ever love, that she wanted to settle down with, raise a family with, not only that, this..this...bitch had captured the sole attention of a man no other woman had been able to entertain for more than a single night at most. All it had taken was a handshake and a little giggle (that Nora was convinced had been fake). When Nora looked closer at what would have been her competition, if there was anything left to compete for that hadn't already been won, she noticed Dabria was simply the most stunning woman she had ever seen. In her opinion Dabria wore too much make up and her hair was straightened in an obvious effort to keep every strand in perfect place, her clothes were of the best design and impeccable coordinated, Vee would be envious. It was all so...perfect, ****_too_**** perfect in fact it made Nora's hackles go up. Something was amiss here, the more she studied the girl the more her senses went off. Nora narrowed her eyes, her suspicions increasing every second, aside from her obvious jealousy, not even she would try to deny that it existed, there was just something not quite right here. Yes, something was wrong and she was going to find out what it was. This wasn't just a competition between two girls, but half of her heart beat in Patch's chest, if he gave it away to someone else she would never feel whole again, she was protecting her heart as well as his. This..'woman'...had the power to break ****_HER_**** Patch, even shatter both their hearts, it was the thought of what she could do to Patch though that bothered Nora the most, she couldn't **_EVER_** let that happen. She would always look out for, protect, and defend Patch at any and all costs...even if that price was her. If she found out this woman's intentions and true feelings were honorable and pure, she would willingly hide her shattered heart so that **_HER _**Patch could find his happy ever after. If keeping the cost to her in the dark from him meant keeping their friendship, she would do what it took, she couldn't lose that, to lose him completely would **_kill _**her.**

**As soon as everyone was distracted, which didn't take long, Nora fled the scene, slipping away unnoticed to grandmas house with tears pouring down her cheeks. Grandma would know what to say, she always gave the best advice and she'd been such an intricate person in all the kids lives she'd have insight no one else would have. She also wasn't someone to pull punches, she'd tell it exactly how it was, even to her grandchildren.**

**Clista opened the door, took one look at Nora's tear-stained face and swollen eyes and wrapped her tightly in a hug, pulling her to the kitchen where she made them steaming cups of hot chocolate with extra cream just how Nora liked it, just like she did when Nora was small so they could sit and talk about whatever had her baby so upset. **

**Clista listened to the story as the words poured and tumbled out of Nora's mouth at a rate she almost couldn't keep up with between breaks where she would break down again. She was happy that the two young kids had finally started to see there could be more between them, that Nora had seen what she had seen from day one, Patch owned her heart. When Nora came to the part about Dabria Clista's face hardened and she had to take a few steadying breaths before muttering under her breath 'of course they would find a way to destroy a relationship built on destiny with a love that's pure unlike theirs in lieu of another step up the social ladder and more money in their overfull filthy pockets'...She had never hated her son and daughter in-law along with their 'friends' as much as she did in that moment.**

**Her grandma knew that her granddaughter had a place in Patch's heart and in his life that no one would ever replace, not even this new girl. Regardless if Patch saw that his love wasn't just a friendship love but a romantic kind of love he had for Nora yet, he one day would. Until that day she was going to make it her duty to keep Nora encouraged to never give up hope and now more than ever to always follow her heart, because in the end that's what your left with. It won't be money, social status, material possessions, your job, it's your heart, it's love that you are left with. Clista knew her granddaughters heart had always resided in Patch. She just had to have faith that it would work out in the end, no matter how long it took or what the heartache along the way that her precious girl would endure. One or both was going to hurt and that didn't set well with Clista, she knew that Patch loved Nora just as deeply and he wouldn't be excluded from pain either. Now that Dabria was in the picture time would be spent keeping Nora together and strong enough to face the hell she was bound to walk through. There was no way to know what would happen from this moment until the moment Patch and Nora BOTH realized together that they had a love written in the stars, all that was certain now was the clear shattering of Nora's spirit. **

**If Clista knew anything about the parents involved in this catastrophe, and she certainly did, they had a plan up their sleeves and it couldn't be a good one. She was willing to wager a vast amount of her wealth that they were trying to insure that Patch and Nora never took their relationship farther than they had already and they were successful as of now. It looked to her like they'd found another profitable marriage to 'arrange' for Patch since things hadn't worked out with him and Vee and he had fallen straight into the snake pit they had dug for him for the first time in his life. Patch had done the one thing he swore he'd never do, he'd done exactly what his parents had wanted. The only person who had ever really loved and accepted the rebel black-sheep on every level was Nora, and grandma too, so if this girl showed him the slightest bit of 'real love' he was going to fall hard.**

**Patch had earned his bad boy image, he'd earned his title as Clista's eternal stud, but there were reasons, he only let Nora see the softer side of him, he'd learned long ago people couldn't be trusted and they often used you. He'd always been a step ahead of their parents though, looked like that time had ended and the parents had finally won a round with him. There was only two things left to do really; first was to hope he saw through it-unlikely by the things Nora had to say, and second, make a plan of attack to see what they could find out about this Miss Dabria. Evil, yes, fun and exciting, yes, rewarding, hopefully. After that all they could do is wait and see how things played out.**

**Things wouldn't be the same for Nora for a long time Clista feared. This would have consequences on Nora. All she could do was help her granddaughter to stay on Patch's side, and never lose faith while she did all she could to support the both of them for as long as she lived. She believed as deeply about the love of her grand-kids as she did about the love her and her beloved husband Nick shared. It was timeless and so was theirs.**

**Clista ran Nora a nice relaxing bubble bath with her favorite scented bubble bath and set out fresh pajama she had there for the occasions Nora stayed. With that done she sat down to hash out a plan of attack, without Nora taking the reigns on this there would be even more despair. She had to help Nora get any dirt there might be on this little hussy. In her long life she'd never known anyone who gave her as strong of an impression that there would be skeletons in their closet like this girl had, and she hadn't even met her...yet. Nobody could be **_that _**perfect, she had to agree with Nora there. They just had to find out what those skeletons were and expose them in a way that would cost Patch the least amount of pain, pain was inevitable though.**

**Nora was going to need some time, time to wallow, time to heal. She would follow her grandma's advice, but for now she needed to grieve. She had been sooo close and now it was all for nothing. She had started to feel so confident, so sure of herself, she had grown and started maturing, becoming a woman in ways that weren't only physical. Now she felt like a she was back to square one or worse, no square at all. Maybe she needed to forget about it for now. Nora just didn't know.**

**The next day when Nora returned home and checked her messages there were three calls from Patch and five texts from him wondering why she left without saying a word. He could keep wondering Nora thought bitterly even though she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid him for long she was sure going to give it her best try. They'd never spent a day apart unless one of them was out-of-town and that had only happened a handful of times, including the week leading up to the dance competition. They were like a permanent rash on each other that just wouldn't go away. Well now he has sweet little 'ole Dabria to keep him company and entertained she laughed to herself dryly. Her days with Patch would never be the same, she knew they would be changing she hadn't known at the time just how quickly. **

**There were four months till summer and now she had those four months to dwell on how she would spend it since it wouldn't be every moment with Patch as it had been every year since she was five. Patch kept trying to reach her all day, but she avoided him like the plague, she told everyone she had come down sick with the flu that they should stay away. That explained her not being able to keep food down and her red puffy nose and eyes to them. No one else wanted to get what she had so they left her alone, she shut off her phone feeling too guilty for making Patch worry to keep it on listening to it ring.**

**By the second week she was holding food down, but the crying hadn't stopped. She explained to everyone she had a cold, possibly allergies, she just wanted to stay in bed so please don't let anyone come up to visit, she'd be sleeping. She did send Patch a couple of texts filling him in on her "conditions", telling him he shouldn't risk his health by visiting when all she really needed was rest. Of course her grandma knew differently, the second week Clista started bringing her soup for her "cold", it was the perfect cover so no one suspected what was going on, but it gave Nora someone to talk to and hold her because for the first time in her life Patch wasn't there to do it. There hadn't been a time up until then that she had been sick, in tears, or in pain that she wasn't in his arms with him fixing whatever was wrong.**

**By the third week she could avoid Patch no longer. He was insisting on seeing Nora no matter what her condition was. Nora knew he would be hurt she had kept him away so long after they'd been inseparable, but she also knew that he had plenty of distraction. Her bedroom windows faced his house so she could see both the house and driveway, plus the window to his room. She knew that Dabria had been there every day since they'd met and almost every one of those days her and Patch had left together to go who knew where. They were probably going to all of her and Patch's favorite spots, like the waterfalls and the look out or the many parks in the area. They might have even gone over night to the beach where the Cipriano's and Grey's had beach cottages that they had loved staying in since they were small. Unlike Nora, Patch and Dabria were both full-grown adults and could go anywhere they wanted. With the money both of them had there wasn't a limit as to where that might be. **

**Nora was so lost in her depressing line of thoughts that she almost didn't hear the door of her room opening without a knock. She knew without looking up that it would be Patch, he was the only one who never knocked. She rolled over in bed turning away from him and stared out the window blankly, not really seeing anything. She didn't want to see him after what had happened and she especially didn't want him to see her like this. Her face was all red and swollen, her cheeks stained with saltwater left by her tears, but most of all, she didn't want to hear how great Dabria was and she knew by the look on Patch's face that day when he met her and with the time those two had spent together that she was going to be hearing a lot about her.. Nora felt the mattress dip a little as Patch sat down on the bed next to her. He really did sound concerned in his messages, but what was she supposed to say, "oh I've just been throwing up and crying my eyes out because I was foolish to think there was something more between us then just dancing which is why I almost kissed you, but don't worry seeing you with Dabria made me so happy for you both even after I realized I not only love you but I'm IN love with you. Don't sweat it I'm just a child obviously I can't tell reality from a dream." No, she couldn't tell him that so she played the sick card again, or at least she tried. He gently turned her head and with the hook of his finger lifted her chin to look in her eyes when she claimed it was allergies still. **

"**Angel, it's been three weeks you've been sick, you can't tell me it's a cold this week because I know you would be lying. If I didn't know you better I would think you were purposely trying to avoid me."**

**Nora avoided eye contact knowing if she met his eyes too much would be given away, he would read her thoughts and things would change forever. There were definite downsides to having someone know you so well that they could read you so easily she was beginning to discover. I might as well get the inevitable out-of-the-way so I can suffer and wallow more on my own, she thought, turning away to gaze blankly out her window once more. "Where's Dabria? Why don't you tell me all about her, I know you're dying to." And I'm going to die piece by piece slowly listening to you tell me, she added to herself while forcing an encouraging smile.**

**That's all it took, her disheveled appearance forgotten as he got animated telling her all the ways Dabria was perfect, how perfect their times were together, how everything was so...perfect. Shoot me now Nora pleaded with whatever deity was listening. Couldn't he see through her? Nobody, not even Nora, was THAT perfect. This is all over money she thought sourly. How convenient that Rixon and her hadn't been hanging out together and people saw her and Patch's relationship practically smoldering and suddenly in walks perfect little Dabria. Angel of death is more like it Nora chuckled darkly to herself. The timing, to use Patch's new favorite and overly used word, was too 'perfect'. Nora was concentrating on holding back the waves of nausea rolling through her that she almost missed what Patch was saying. Oops.**

"**...earth to Nora, I said are you okay? You don't call or text anymore and even when you had pneumonia you did that on top of letting me visit so what's going on? You know you can tell me anything, we've never kept secrets from each other." There's another thing changing. There will always be this secret now, he can't know how I feel, not unless a day comes that I KNOW he feels the same, wants the same things.**

**Nora turned ever so slightly to him once more, careful to still avoid his eyes and gave him a ghost of a smile.**

"**I've just been sleeping. I'm glad you've had Dabria to keep you company while I'm sick and not feeling well. This is the happiest I've ever seen you." That certainly was true, he had never looked more alive or excited or...in love. She swallowed the lump that was consuming her throat. **

**Once Patch had left she realized she couldn't avoid him anymore, she missed him and wanted to spend whatever left over time there was after Dabria was done with him together. She couldn't cut him out it was literally killing her to be away so long. She'd lost weight and felt like hell, she wasn't even sleeping. Looking in the mirror she practiced a happy face to mask how she was really feeling till it looked almost totally convincing...almost. With her new mask in place she went back to her old spot as best friend minus a few new changes. For example, his non stop babbling about all of Dabria's grand virtues. Nora was either so good at her mask or he was too caught up in love to notice she was avoiding his eyes and face as if her life depended on it, in a way it did. Had Dabria not been in the picture that wouldn't have lasted thirty seconds before he called her bullshit. He also rarely flirted anymore, all of his innuendo's and sex jokes that were so much a part of who he was were gone, taking his cocky comments with them. He had changed, their friendship had changed, the thing that hadn't was her dedication to their friendship, she was standing firmly by his side at all costs, even if it meant breaking her own heart shred by painful shred. He was simply more important, their relationship was more important. She swore to do all she had to to be there throughout their lives when and however he needed her.**


	8. Chapter 8 - PROM AND A WEDDING?

_**CHAPTER 8**_

_**PROM AND A WEDDING?**_

**Two months past much the same with Nora spending every moment with Patch he didn't spend with Dabria. One thing that hadn't changed was the way he still came and stayed with her when the night terrors would hit, even if he was with Dabria when he got the call. In fact, he was still the one there for her when she needed him for anything aside from comfort over her feelings for him, which grandma was still giving her. He was keeping his promise that she would always be **_his _**Angel, that wasn't going to change regardless of how much whining and complaining Dabria did or how many monumental fits she threw and things she accused them of. She didn't understand the way they relied on each other, how much they both valued their friendship. Dabria told Patch that Nora was lying about the night terrors, that she was only using them to manipulate him, to make him feel guilty for falling in love because Nora was selfish and only wanted him to herself, even if it meant ruining his life by ruining their relationship. She said that Nora was a stupid little girl with a cheap crush that she just needed to get over. The age gap between him and Nora was one of Dabria's favorite subjects, she knew that Patch struggled with that, he didn't have to say anything it was obvious to her. While Patch didn't believe for one instant that Nora's nightmares were fake or that she was trying to come between him and Dabria, Dabria had succeeded in making him think the feelings he had had for Nora were wrong, he was back to seeing her as a kid sister and chalked up the whole wanting to be with her as a dance induced hormone high since salsa dancing is so sexual.**

**It was Nora's first day of summer vacation and she was enjoying it pool side soaking up the heat and sunshine of the clear blue skies. A soft smile graced her lips as a gentle breeze blew by making her shiver slightly. Suddenly a shadow fell over her and she sat up. Patch. For an instant her face lit up, he looked so happy he was wearing the biggest smile she'd ever seen and her heart did a little flip. She was about to ask him what had him so happy when he handed her an envelope she hadn't noticed him carrying. Her stomach dropped immediately, **_please let this be a bad dream_** she closed her eyes praying that when she opened them the envelope would be gone. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, with shaky hands she opened the pristine paper, trying to return Patch's big smile lest he pick up on the waterworks threatening to spill. If she hadn't had so much practice masking her feelings over him and Dabria the last few months he would have seen right through her. As it was he didn't notice and she counted the moments until she was alone and could let go of the latest round of misery to encase her. **

**The wedding invitation was intricate and obviously expensive, no surprise there since Nora had long since learned that Dabria enjoyed the 'finer' things in life. In other words she was a pretentious stuck up rich snob who cared more for money and designer labels than people and feelings. They were getting married. Patch, was getting married. **_Her _**Patch was getting married. She felt the air leave her lungs as her chest closed and her heart pounded out a rhythm so fast it felt ready to burst and she was nauseous. Her dreams were over. She had planned on spending more time with him this summer now that she was out of school, she had planned on more time with him before things heated up anymore between him and Dabria. Now he would be busy planning their wedding. Their parents had won. She must have looked ill because he asked if she was okay, a look of concern clouding his face where the smile had been. She lied, something she never did, not to Patch. Nora told him she was just a little light-headed, probably too much sun. He bought it. After quickly excusing herself to go lay down she threw herself on her bed and let loose the storm of emotions that were swirling inside of her. She knew he was happy, or at least he thought he was and isn't that all she could ask for? She needed to know that things with Dabria were real, that Dabria was worthy of the love Patch was giving her. She would investigate like grandma had told her, in the meantime, she needed to move on, at least try to move on.**

**When Clista met Dabria for the first time she was sure that what she had feared was happening here indeed was. She ****was furious at the parents, her own son, for using their own kids as business pawns to amass their own wealth that was already more than they could spend in a lifetime. In fact, it would support several generations or more of their heirs already. Clista had felt all along that Patch and Nora were destined to be together...that was before Dabria. Dabria was gorgeous, angelic even, she knew how to charm people to get what she wanted, she was flirty while giving the appearance of being a very proper and well-bred lady. Patch was hooked believing he was in love with her immediately and wedding plans were set in motion. Honestly, Clista saw it in two things: first there were many ways the girls were similar, both were lean built with long hair, Nora's was more often than not curly with a carefree style and as her granddaughter joked it was able to hold its own against any flatiron. Dabria wore her hair perfectly straight, there was nothing carefree about her, both girls had brown hair, but Nora's was a mahogany with brilliant red highlights made even more stunning under light, especially sunlight while Dabria's was more of an orange toned ****red that Clista thought was dull and as lifeless as the girl herself. Nora's eyes were a soft gray, changing depth with her emotions, Dabria's eyes never looked soft or kind. Truth be told Dabria looked a HELL of a lot like Nora in a washed out form and a little older. Meeting Dabria****for herself the first time she could have mistaken one for the other from the back, that is if you didn't pay attention to what they were wearing. Dabria was older and her clothes, in Clista's opinion, were decidedly sluttish and she wore entirely too much make-up. She knew that it wasn't only age that kept her granddaughter from caking on the make-up and dressing for that kind of attention. Nora had a more conservative personality and style that suited her. Nora didn't need make-up to create beauty, she already was beautiful. The other major difference was Dabria was the **_**crème**_**brûlée ****to ****the Cipriano's. Whenever Patch was within earshot the adults raved of the perfection that was Dabria and listed countless reasons she was worthy of his love and affection. **

**When Patch wasn't looking Dabria's normally flat looking eyes took on an evil glint that shot death rays towards Nora. In his presence she had an all too sweet love struck look that was so over the top syrupy you wanted to gag. She must have learned that from her mother, Clista thought wryly. As far as her smile the fullness of her curvaceous mouth should have matched her granddaughters, instead it held the look of a cat that had gotten the canary with a smug look like she had an ace up her sleeve no one knew about. Nora had warned her grandma that she wouldn't like or trust Dabria when she had come to her house in tears after the dance contest that had started out as the best day of her young granddaughters life and turning out to be one of the worst she would ever experience.**

**Nora never in a million years thought that Patch would give his heart to anyone else but her. She was heart-broken and shattered followed by pissed after meeting this "Dabria". She had bad, bad feelings when she met her and they had steadily gotten worse the longer his fiancé was in the picture. Nora tried to move on by convincing herself that it was probably just her overactive imagination making her think something was up with Dabria, brought on by having her heart ripped out. It wasn't just that Patch was her soul mate, the kind of love that was epic, he was her BEST FRIEND and she felt she owed it to him to find out what was behind this new girl, what her devious eyes were hiding. What plot did she have and was she planning on hurting Patch. She would deal with whatever Dabria dealt her, but she would not stand idly by and let her hurt her best friend. With Clista's help they started monitoring Dabria's every move.**

**The rest of the summer both flew by and drug, when Patch wasn't helping Dabria with wedding planning, which was often since not surprisingly Dabria had almost complete charge of everything. She was a perfectionist and a control freak. That actually worked out in Nora's favor because with Dabria preoccupied Patch had free time to spend with her and that's what they did. **

**Rixon was back to spending time with them, happy that his brother was getting married, that officially cleared up the fears he had of losing Nora since he didn't consider anyone else a threat to him. He 'knew' Nora would be his now. Patch had mixed feelings about that. He wanted his brother to be happy, to feel what he was feeling, but Nora was his best friend and he didn't want her spending her life married to someone she wasn't in love with, even if that was his own little brother. She deserved her happy ever after just like he had found his. Now she might just be at the mercy of their parents and that was making him very ill at ease. He'd always protected her from them, taken her away from the pressure when it was too much. They toyed with her emotions and with him getting married how close of an eye could he realistically keep on things in her home? He'd always be there, but would it be enough? On top of these questions was the nagging feeling in his stomach that things with him and Nora were different, that she was acting different, almost as if he had hurt her, REALLY hurt her, but for the first time he was too busy to give it much thought. He had all but forgotten all the feelings he had experienced two weeks before meeting his fiancé, the one's that had him wanting to win the heart of his friend, the one's that had him worried that he was being 'friend zoned'. In his head she was the little girl next door he loved and protected, no longer even a woman like she had been the night he took them all dancing to win the bet.**

**School began for Nora and Prom was in the air all around, it was all anyone wanted to talk about. Rixon was bugging her to go along with a few other guys. Dante who was the quarterback for their all state champion football team wanted her to go with him. He had a bright future in front of him with college scholarships anywhere he wanted to go and a promising future as an NFL player. The girls at school were envious that Nora had the attention of both boys. It didn't matter to Nora though, she wasn't interested in any of them. The only one she wanted was already officially taken and was soon to be legally bound to someone other than her. **

**Through it all she had plastered a smile on her face and let him live in his happy place. Her grandma refused to let her give up hope saying that he would need her at his side when his world crumbled because both her and Nora saw that in his future. Warning him at this point when they had nothing firm would be futile, he would either not believe them or be angry at their accusations and they would risk losing him, that wasn't an option. **

**With all her hopes for her and Patch gone and the pressure of Prom and Rixon, Nora decided to date for the first time. She didn't accept Rixon's request, she didn't want to encourage him with something that was never going to happen so she said yes to Dante. He seemed like a reasonable choice, as good as any when there's no one you want that you can actually have. They had many things in common and he seemed well liked. What you see isn't always what you get. In reality Dante was a real douch, no one warned her of that, not even Rixon who figured Dante was a phase she would get over. What Rixon didn't count on was what would happen on Prom night, or why Dante had pursued Nora in the first place.**

**Prom was set two months before Patch's wedding. Nora had asked Patch to take her virginity when 'all the kids were doing it' and he had declined, in fact the playboy had lectured her about not having sex until she was in love and with the right person, to save herself and make it special. She **_had_** saved herself from then on for someone special, as in Patch. With Nora being eighteen and Prom being two months before his wedding she had nothing to lose...well, besides that, so she threw herself into getting ready for the big night shopping with Vee. One of Vee's favorite things to do was to use her little sister as her own personal size Barbie. She never understood the younger girls aversion to dressing up everyday. They had money so why her sister preferred jeans, a t-shirt and a pair of J's with a leather jacket was really beyond her comprehension and definitely not up to her standards. Dressing her for Dante was a dream for Vee, she thought the football star was a huge catch and talked non stop never noticing that Nora herself was saying very little. Nora knew she was settling with Dante, what hope did she have, her soul mate was getting married it was time to move on. With that in mind Patch's long ago safe sex...don't lose your virginity to anyone you don't want to spend your life with...your too special for just any guy speech was no longer valid. Boys were really showing interest now that Patch was preoccupied and not threatening them, had he not been he would have crushed all their dreams by now. The few one time dates she had been on were arranged by Bella or Shadow. No one had really asked Nora out, she figured they weren't really interested and that was okay by her since she wasn't interested in them. Reality was they were very very interested, but Patch had eyes and ears **_EVERYWHERE _**and any interest in **_HIS ANGEL _**was quickly forgotten after a talk with him. Not even the men in town wanted to be on the receiving end of a warning let alone more. Patch had a reputation for getting a little...rough. Needless to say, no one was anxious to test him in a fight. It wasn't that he wanted Nora alone all of her life, he just didn't think any of those boys were good enough for her, he wanted her to have a guy he felt actually deserved her. **

**While Vee and Nora picked out the perfect dress and accessories preparing for her night, Dante was off renting a cheap hotel room at the local Motel 6, bragging about how ****_HE _****would be the one to finally take Nora's V-card and there would be no Patch to stop him now that he had a wedding in the works. Dante knew Patch was 7 hours away from home that weekend, that made this all the easier. Nora, for the most part, had resigned herself to her fate and was ready as she could be to give into Dante, even though she didn't know of his plans per se, or that he had bragged about being the one who was finally going to 'break the ice princess'. What Dante hadn't counted on was being overheard in the showers after football practice by Rixon who called his big brother to let him know what Dante's plans were. Since Patch was now officially off the market he was of no threat so calling him in for protection just seemed the right thing to do since he didn't want anything bad to happen to Nora. Rixon had done some changing that year and instead of being so forward he had actually become quite shy, he didn't want Nora to end up as a cheap conquest even if she didn't want to be with him. He loved her enough to not want that for her.**

**Dante arrived promptly the night of Prom to pick Nora up. He was welcomed by the Grey's as the son of the town's Mayor. Dante was spoiled and used to getting what he wanted. Since no one had been able to get anywhere near Nora Grey that's what he wanted. She was just another notch on his bedpost, a trophy on his wall, albeit a gorgeous one. **

**When Patch received the call there weren't words to express the rage he had at this Dante kid, he was even kind of angry at Nora for being what he felt was naïve and not waiting for that 'perfect' man she would settle down with like he knew she had always wanted. He was angry on top of that because Nora had once asked **_him _**to take her virginity, he had said no at the time feeling that she was too young still and he was too much like an older brother, but things had changed, Nora had grown which had been obvious when they danced so even though he was getting married and had no right, the idea of some other boys paws on ****_HIS ANGEL _****drove him mad. He told Dabria there was an emergency, jumped in his car and floored it to make it in time to save ****_HIS Angel_**** and teach little Dante a lesson. Grown men didn't want to fight Patch on his good days, but get his temper going and he had the potential to be lethal. One way to spark his temper was to find something he was passionate about and when it came to ****_HIS ANGEL _****he was ****_VERY_**** passionate about protecting her, even if he was mad at her and thought she was making a very bad spur of the moment choice..**

**With the dance underway, Patch's time was ticking away, he had the engine open the whole way. While he drove Nora was faced with what she knew was going to happen, Dante's hands knew no boundaries, but was she supposed to care when she'd been planning on sleeping with him anyways? Why did this still feel so... wrong, there was no synchronization like with Patch, Dante's body didn't fit with hers it felt awkward and his hands felt wrong... it just felt...wrong. She figured it was nerves, cold feet and a broken heart. She was resigning herself to her fate when there was a tap on Dante's shoulder, when he saw who was standing behind him his face turned white. A voice as melodic as angels, smooth and sexy as sin and equally as diabolical spoke up, a voice she would recognize anywhere demanded to cut in. **

**When Dante took a sideways step Patch got his first view of Nora that night and stopped breathing. He had come ready to save the little girl next door, to protect his little sister but this... this was no little girl, in fact this made the young woman he had salsa danced with look... plain. Standing before him was a woman as much a goddess as an Angel. Nora was wearing a black one shoulder sleeveless sheath long slit cut-out open back prom dress. The 'one shoulder' was actually a design pattern that sparkled like diamonds that connected to a form-fitting black velvet bodice that rose to meet the shoulder design on the right side and dropped slightly lower diagonally to the left side below the underneath of her arm. It left from the center and across her left chest and shoulder bare as well as a triangle section on each side between the bodice and the skirt that was connect only in the center by a matching design made of the same zirconia jewels as the shoulder piece. Other than the connecting piece her creamy taut stomach was exposed for his eyes to drink in. The black velvet skirt was made to fit like a second skin around the hips and thighs and flair ever so slightly near the very bottom. There was a slit running up the front of her left leg stopping high on her mid-thigh. The dress hugged her every curve accenting her full breasts that he had never noticed, her waist was small and her hips round. Her legs went on for miles. She had her nails painted black with a matching stone and design on each nail, she wore diamond earrings. Nora's eyes were a smoky silver and black, not dark like Dabria's make up, rather soft to accent the beauty she already was. Her cheeks were slightly flush and her lips were shaded a soft pink. Nora's hair was slicked back, part was pulled into a ballerina bun with the rest having been braided then looped around the bun. Vee had left a soft cascading ringlet of hair on the front that hung down the right side of her face. Patch was speechless, stunned by the beauty before him. How had he not noticed **_THIS_**?! His body, if not his heart, were having definite reactions to this young woman before him. **

"**Hi." She said nervously. What was he doing here?**

**Patch had to swallow before speaking. Her voice had even changed, it sounded like music, silky and smooth.**

"**Hi." When he didn't say anything more she raised an inquiring eyebrow at him.**

"**Would you like to dance?" Dance. It was the only thing he could think of, the first word that came to mind.**

"**Yes, thank-you." She giggled and offered him her hand, he bowed gently and kisses on the back of each knuckle with the graze of his lips.**

"**The pleasure's all mine." Patch's focus was solely on Nora having forgotten a very confused and shocked Dante standing next to him.**

**Nora stepped into his arms and he pulled her close, their bodies starting right where they had left off. When he moved she moved, they were smooth as water flowing together as they danced to John Legend- All Of Me...**

What would I do without your smart mouth?_  
><em>Drawing me in, and you kicking me out_  
><em>You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down_  
><em>What's going on in that beautiful mind_  
><em>I'm on your magical mystery ride_  
><em>And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright_[Pre-Chorus:]__  
><em>My head's under water_  
><em>But I'm breathing fine_  
><em>You're crazy and I'm out of my mind_[Chorus:]__  
><em>'Cause all of me_  
><em>Loves all of you_  
><em>Love your curves and all your edges_  
><em>All your perfect imperfections_  
><em>Give your all to me_  
><em>I'll give my all to you_  
><em>You're my end and my beginning_  
><em>Even when I lose I'm winning_  
><em>'Cause I give you all of me_  
><em>And you give me all of you, ohoh

How many times do I have to tell you_  
><em>Even when you're crying you're beautiful too_  
><em>The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood_  
><em>You're my downfall, you're my muse_  
><em>My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues_  
><em>I can't stop singing, it's ringing, in my head for you_[Pre-Chorus:]__  
><em>My head's under water_  
><em>But I'm breathing fine_  
><em>You're crazy and I'm out of my mind_[Chorus:]__  
><em>'Cause all of me_  
><em>Loves all of you_  
><em>Love your curves and all your edges_  
><em>All your perfect imperfections_  
><em>Give your all to me_  
><em>I'll give my all to you_  
><em>You're my end and my beginning_  
><em>Even when I lose I'm winning_  
><em>'Cause I give you all of me_  
><em>And you give me all of you, ohoh_[Bridge:]__  
><em>Give me all of you_  
><em>Cards on the table, we're both showing hearts_  
><em>Risking it all, though it's hard_[Chorus:]__  
><em>'Cause all of me_  
><em>Loves all of you_  
><em>Love your curves and all your edges_  
><em>All your perfect imperfections_  
><em>Give your all to me_  
><em>I'll give my all to you_  
><em>You're my end and my beginning_  
><em>Even when I lose I'm winning_  
><em>'Cause I give you all of me_  
><em>And you give me all of you

I give you all of me_  
><em>And you give me all of you, ohoh

**When the song ended Nora's eyes were sparkling with tears she promised herself she wouldn't cry.**

"**Do you want to get out of here?" Patch asked her. She could have sworn his voice had dropped an octave sounding almost thick with something she hadn't heard... desire? He was looking at her bottom lip she was lightly nibbling on, a nervous habit of hers without thinking she ran her tongue across it and his eyes followed and she saw him swallow. A shiver ran through her.**

"**Yes." She whispered and without another word he led her to his car.**

**He had made the... mistake? Of turning her down once before, nope, if anyone was going to touch ****_HIS ANGEL _****it would be him. He was the one who knew her inside and out, he knew what to do and what not to so it wouldn't hurt her as much as it might if at all, he would make it special, a night to remember he would know that she enjoyed her first time... Hell, he planned on ravishing her and ruining her for any and every man after him, secretly he was hoping there never would be a man after him! Patch shook his head a little ,no, I'm getting married but I will do this because she deserves her first time to be special, not with some football player trying to score another point and most DEFINITELY NOT in some cheap sleazy motel room. She needed to be with someone she trusted and who loves her and there was no one closer to her than him. No, only the best for **_HIS _**uh...****_lady? Angel..._**** They drove in complete silence, though not uncomfortable to either of them. They both knew what was coming next and even though this was Nora's every fantasy coming true she couldn't help but be nervous and even though this was exactly what she wanted she knew in the morning she would have to let him go, she would have to watch him go back to Dabria and that hurt... ****_a lot._**


	9. Chapter 9 - MINE, YOURS

_**CHAPTER 9**_

_**MINE, YOURS**_

**Patch drove Nora to the next town over, it was larger and had world class five-star hotel. As Patch paid for the penthouse suite Nora looked around, not really taking in her surroundings, her mind was working a mile a minute. How was sweet little virgin Nora going to be able to be enough for Patch Cipriano? Let alone please someone with the well deserved and earned nickname of 'eternal stud'? He had been with countless women, she didn't even want to guess at a number, and then there was Dabria who to her seemed, well...katty. She didn't see how this night could end well, for him at least, she hoped he wasn't just taking pity on her, she hated pity. Patch never seemed to do anything without a reason, what could his reason be, what could **_he _**get from **_her_**? Her stomach continued to roll, her hands shook a little and her body had a slight tremble from the nerves running through her, she had to admit though, this was ****_EXACTLY _****what she had always wanted so she had to find a way to put all the other women who had been before her and the thoughts of how much more experienced he was than her out of her head. Easier said than done she thought wryly to herself.. **

**Patch could literally feel the tension rolling off of Nora. Out of the corner of his eye in the elevator he caught the shaking and trembling and swore he would help her relax and enjoy the nights events and forget everything else but them. Tonight, well tonight was about only them and the overwhelming desire he had to take her and make her his. He hated the comparison, but the urge was so strong so primal it reminded him of a dog in heat, he wanted to, no, he **_needed_** to mark his territory, to make her ****_HIS. _****He couldn't wait, Dabria wasn't even a speck of dust in his thoughts, no she was blissfully forgotten totally, completely and utterly forgotten for the night. When he had seen Dante's hands on Nora it took every ounce of his shaky self-control to not rip the guys throat out after feeding him his own heart. Nora was **_NOT _**his to touch or to take, she was ****_HIS ANGEL _****and he was about to make sure that was never forgotten by him or her.**

**Nora could feel his gaze on her as she battled her inner demons. Dabria, his fiancé had a killer body, a body any guy would dream of possessing; she was barely a woman, her breasts weren't perfectly round, her stomach didn't have the definition that Dabria's had, her legs weren't nearly as long, her skin not as golden yet. Nora didn't mention any of these fears to Patch, she didn't want to remind him of the fact he even had a fiance. She was scared at any moment he would realize what they were about to do and he'd flee out the door, not that Patch was the fleeing type of guy...at least not until the morning after. **_This is what you wanted Nora, this is what you've wanted ever since he explained to you that such an act even existed between a man and a woman. When you admitted you loved him you promised it would be no one **but** him, _**she reminded herself. If she had only known what was going on in his head and how he and others saw her, maybe, just maybe, she might have felt more secure and at ease with herself. Hopefully in time..**

**When he actually laid eyes on her that night he could have sworn his jaw dropped and he was drooling like a pubescent boy who was first learning about sex, hormones and their bodies reactions when in the presence of someone as sexy as Nora was. She looked like such a goddess, and the exposed skin revealed to him had more than made his pants a little too tight and a little too uncomfortable for his liking. Glancing at her again in the elevator he couldn't believe what a beautiful lady she had become without him truly taking notice of her growing up. She wasn't just sexy, she was classy. The fabric cut-outs accented her tiny waist and the bodice hugged the perfect swells of her breasts without making her look cheap or easy. The skirt had enough give to allow her to move when they were dancing while being fitting enough to show the curves her age had given her, the slit up the front made her legs look endless. Her make-up looked demure not trashy, slutty or cheap like Dabria's. Patch normally didn't like make-up on Nora at all, but tonight it was just one more thing accenting a perfection that was already plainly there. Her hair was in an up-do that showcased the sensuous column of her neck and her red highlights shimmered in the bright hotel lighting. Nora was radiating beauty and pose, holding her body with the grace of a dancer and the upbringing of a lady. She was the portrait of perfection, Patch thought. If this thing didn't hurry up he was going to be wearing a permanent in print of his zipper! **

**With all these womanly features she hadn't lost that look of innocence that Dabria never had, and he hoped Nora never would. That sweet blush that gave her cheeks a natural glow and darkened and spread when she was embarrassed. The warm glow of her big eyes that warmed them and had a way of melting you without trying. Dabria's just looked cold, frosty and lifeless with no heat at all. Nora's eyes had always been one of Patch's favorite things about her. He felt like he could read her mind, every thought and every emotion when he was looking in them, he could get lost in her eyes alone. A simple eye connection from across the room was all the communication they would need to speak.**

**When the elevator finally reached the top floor Patch put his hand gently on the small of Nora's back and guided her into their suite for the night. The penthouse was carved of black granite and was lit with candles, a fire was glowing in the hearth. There were silk rugs in chromatic shades of navy, gray and black, the look was sleek and contemporary with clean lines and an artistic appeal. They weren't here to admire the architecture though. Patch surprised her when he suddenly swooped her up in his arms bridal style and maneuvered them through the french doors leading into the bedroom. He set her down pulling her to him and then spinning her out like they were dancing. She giggled and he smiled knowing it would help put her a little more at ease. Slowly he started to remove his shirt, exposing his sculpted body to her feasting eyes. He was fit, he always had been, his biceps and forearms were well chiseled, not overly muscled, but powerful. His abdominal muscles were cut and defined, a full six-pack centered between the V indention pointing from his hip bones down to his... Nora took a deep calming breath as Patch slowly walked towards her, softly placing her hand on his chest over his heart. **

"**You can touch, Angel, it's okay, explore." He spoke softly to her, using her nickname that only he was allowed to call her, knowing it would help further to put her at ease.**

**How many times had she dreamed of moments like this when he was teaching her to salsa? How many times had she wished he would just take her and ravish her, claim her as his own right then and there? Slowly and ever so softly she started to hesitantly explore his pecs and his shoulders, down his arms and across his stomach. His head tilted back and his eyes closed as his muscles rippled under her tender touch. He had been touched in so many ways throughout the years by so many hands, but never had he been worshiped like this. Her hands were so small so satiny, they lit his skin on fire not only where she touched, but all around it too. He felt like he was being burnt, every nerve on fire, but it wasn't pain he was feeling. He sighed softly and Nora looked up to make sure this was okay, for the first time since they had known each other she couldn't immediately place the look in his eyes. It couldn't be... lust could it she thought. She continued to explore his topography, slowly she circled him running her fingers along his back then up his arm to his collarbone and up his neck, across his cheek down his nose before softly brushing the pad of her thumb across his satin bottom lip. He bent slowly placing a chaste kiss on her lips, she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer, wanting more. Her soft tongue started to slowly, tantalizingly, trace his full bottom lip seeking permission to enter which he gladly gave. Normally, there were clashes of dominance, this was tender and reverent like a slow dance with only their tongues. They each took the time to discover every taste every crevice of each others mouths. Patch thought she tasted like heaven, better than his favorite drink. Her taste was sweet and pure just like her, he could go on tasting her forever and never get bored. Briefly his mind wondered what she would taste like other places. To Nora, Patch was like the finest dessert and yet far beyond that, he was **_HER _**Patch and no one would ever taste like him, he tasted of a passion that was consuming, adventure and even a little bit of danger, she was quickly getting lost in him. **

**Carefully Patch undid the clasp on the back of the dress letting his fingers gently dance and caress down her spine with feather light touches that sent a series of small shivers through her. With a small smile on his face he continued to kiss her and slide the zipper down on the waist of her dress, letting it pool at her feet while her hands continued studying his upper body. His eyes drunk in the site before him, Nora was standing in only her black lace half cup push up bra and matching barely there panties that had ruby-red ribbons contrasting with the black. Her garters and stockings matched the bra and panties and all four matched her black high heels. It was all so highly erotic and a completely unexpected, but pleasant surprise from the girl next door he'd grown up with. **

**Patch groaned deep in his throat, what was she doing to him, trying to kill him?! His two favorite colors on a woman and his favorite lingerie. Had she done that on purpose? Dressed for him to be with that pathetic tool of a boy? The thought again of Dante getting his hands on ****_HIS GODDESS _****and making her first experience anything less than perfection sent a sharp heated zap of lightning and rage coursing through his veins. He wanted to kill that boy for even touching her to dance, the thought of him boosting to his friends... He almost missed having this epic moment with her, it had been so close, too close. As quickly as the anger hit it was gone though, his mind storing it in the file system under 'things to deal with later' and boy was Dante going to be dealt with, along with his friends encouraging his unsavory behavior. **

**Patch felt Nora's fingers on the button of his pants and he put his hand softly on hers to stop her. Her face suddenly gazing at him in fear that she had done something wrong, mixed with a look of disappointment and sadness. He almost chuckled at the disappointment but thought better of it, instead he gave her one of his famous smirks and raised an eyebrow.**

"**Tonight is about you, Angel, it will be as slow and painless as possible. I want to bring you the most pleasure a man can bring you. I want to take you to heights you can't imagine so patience love, it won't be fast, but it will be the best and the least painful that I can make it, I promise." He whispered soothingly to her before placing a benevolent kiss to her forehead.**

**Nora looked relieved, but a little apprehensive still. Patch bent and picked her up bridal style again and she nuzzled into him and kissed his neck earning her a groan that Nora was fast beginning to love as he gently laid her down on the big soft bed in the center of the room. Slowly Patch set to work first removing her high heels (that he was secretly in love with-as if her legs weren't long enough or toned enough the heels were the cherry on top) one at a time, next to go was the garter and stockings with a soft growl as he removed the offending garment (utterly delectable as it was), before starting a path of kisses as slow as humanly possible up her leg starting on the tops of each finely pedicured dainty toe, up to her ankle then to her calf, behind her knees where he used the tip of his tongue to gently tickle her making her half giggle half whimper. Everywhere he had uncovered from toe to hip was covered in gentle kisses, licks and nibbles. Not a centimeter of skin had been forgotten or neglected. When he completed that side he started all over on the other, giving it the same slow burning treatment that had Nora's insides rolling from more than anxiety. **

**Nora had never had an orgasm, in fact, when her sister or friends would mention the word or masturbation she would turn scarlet and high tail it out of there as if she was being chased by an ax murderer. She was very shy, but now she was beginning to see the fascination and it was killing her...whatever ****_IT _****was...**

**With both legs bathed in affection he moved up and on to her hips, then her taut little stomach using the same care as below. Patch traced each line of her ribs with his lips and his tongue making her moan which made him smile. He skillfully reached behind her with one hand and in an instant unclasped her bra and discarded it with ease. All that was left was the tiny black lace with the center red bow covering her nether region that he could see was wet and smelled of the most fragrant nectar.**

**He stood up and gazed down at Nora, taking a moment to admire her perfection and commit it to memory, never had he been stunned speechless but tonight she had managed to keep doing just that. **

**Nora felt embarrassed by his intense focus on her and tried to cover herself up, Patch stopped her.**

"**Don't ever hide yourself from the person your going to be intimate with, if they don't make you feel loved and worshiped like the goddess you are, if they don't appreciate or see you like that, then they don't deserve to be in bed with you." **

**He held out his hand and helped her sit up and unbutton his pants, he stopped her from removing his boxers, not yet he told her. It was a relief to be freed from the restraints of his pants. That zipper indent was sure to stay now. This was about her though, like he had promised. With a few calming breaths he reminded himself that he would make them one, he would find his release, but first he had to take care of her. He knelt over her body hovering above her he trailed kisses from her forehead to her each eyelid to her cheeks than her nose before placing another chaste kiss at each corner of her plump silky mouth, then he gave her a lingering searing kiss that blew open the electrical transformer that had contained the electricity he was building in both of them. They poured their love and passion for each other in that one moment through that connection. With all of Patch's vast experience he had never felt a kiss like that but chose not to dwell on that thought, instead he continued his exploration and worship of her body. Kissing up and down both sides of her neck, covering every inch before nibbling her ear lobes and pulse points, he found all the places only **_HE _**had ever found, making sure that it was **_HIM_** AND **_HIM ALONE _**that made her writhe beneath him. His huge ego swelled even more at the effect he had on her at every little cry, whimper and moan. When he found that her ear lobes were a hot spot for her he licked the shell of her ear and spent a few extra moments there biting gently making her growl in a way that had him chuckling to himself. **

**This was all pure uncharted territory and he seemed to automatically know where her secret spots were and what would work her up the highest. The way he was playing her body any observer would have thought Patch had spent a lifetime studying her responses. **

**He continued his trail lower across both sides of her collarbone and shoulders then slowly down to the valley of her round breasts. He took a minute to hold each globe in his hands, noticing how they seemed to be made to fit his hands alone, the perfect size, the perfect weight, even the perfect color. Her nipples were the perfect complement to her creamy sun-kissed skin and rock hard under his ministrations as he laved them with his tongue. He sucked them in with a gentle tug followed by rolling them and swirling his tongue around the peak. He pulled back and blew on them making her shiver and call out his name. He was in heaven with the way she was responding to him, he took his time on each one. **

**How had some lucky man not scooped up this Angel of perfection by now, he wondered. No, he did not mean the boys he had chased away through the years, but someone who would capture her heart. A heart that was selfless, passionate, empathetic. Nora's smile lit up a room, her eyes were that of an old soul and she could really put on the puppy dog expression when she wanted something badly enough. Her parents may have been able to ignore and resist her, but Patch never could. Nora was smart, witty, funny, she could be sarcastic and straight forward or shy and bashful. So what was wrong here, he asked in the back of his head as he worked her body higher and higher. Come to think of it, that was probably the only thing he **_didn't _**know about his girl, what type of man she liked and wanted...how could he have missed that with the constant companionship they had shared? Another thought to be filed away for later to ask her he told himself, he needed to know **_everything _**when it came to Nora. She fascinated him.**

**When he felt she was ready he moved on down her stomach again to her belly button where he swirled his tongue around and prodded her with a mischievous grin he was giving her. She looked down at where he was looking up from under his thick luscious black lashes and giggled, relaxing just a bit more. He loved that sound, it was like music to his ears, her laugh was addictive. It was pure and true, not forced or faked like Dabria's sounded. Slowly he began to lower her lace panties down her legs letting his thumbs caress her skin on the way down, all the while knowing what was to come would have her initially shrieking in embarrassment than in pleasure. Thinking about all the things he intended on doing made him grow harder still at just the thought.**

**He kissed the insides of her thighs then nibbled her artery point where her lifeblood flowed, that sent another series of tremors through her. He was so close to her, so close to where no one had been before. Nora could feel his warm breath on her soaked and heated core, it was driving her crazy. She felt a knot in her stomach pulling tighter, a coil being wound tighter and tighter as more butterflies sprung to life.**

"**Patch." She whispered just loud enough to be audible to him.**

"**What do you need, Angel?" He smiled knowing exactly what she needed, finding humor in her innocence of not knowing for herself.**

"**More, Patch... more...I don't know..." She stuttered between pants.**

**God... the scent of her was as intoxicating as was the view of her glistening womanhood as he memorized it. He continued to work the skin of her inner thighs over with his lips before blowing gently across the delicate bundle of nerves he had so carefully avoided. Nora moaned loudly and gripped the silky sheets he had laid her on. **

**Patch had had another surprise when he had slid her panties down her legs, sweet and innocent Nora had a Brazilian wax...who would have thought that with all of her shyness and lack of experience with anything sexual that she would have one of those, he mused. That made Patch certain that inside this quiet little girl, make that **_woman, _**laid a minx dying to be brought out. Once again he thought some lucky man was going to get a lady in the street and a fucking tigress in bed... oh the things he could do to her, the things he could teach her if she were his. Whoever this lucky, lucky man turned out to be that would posses her, he hoped he would love her enough and be experienced enough to help her explore her inner goddess, to help her open up that side of her so she could embrace her own passion and sexuality that he was so sure she possessed. Most women felt bad about their sexuality, embarrassed by it which was a sad thought to Patch, and equally annoying. There was nothing worse than a woman he was with so afraid to enjoy herself she laid beneath you quiet and still as if she were a corpse, especially if you ask them what they like and what feels good and they have no response. No, Patch could sense something special in Nora, she had the potential to overcome society pressure and embrace that part of herself. That man better never break this angels heart, **_HIS ANGELS_** heart, he better never make her feel bad for wanting or needing to be pleased, to have her body worshiped by the person she would give her all to, or that man would pay the price. Patch would make sure it was a slow and as torturous as possible too. So so much potential he thought to himself once again with a strange clinch in his stomach he didn't want to evaluate.**

** Lightly he placed his first kisses to her outer lips, spreading them tenderly, slow as possible exposing the inner parts of her most sensitive of places to his eyes. Her labia and the swollen bundle of nerves he could see lay before him throbbing with need for him already. He kissed the bud of her maiden flower reverently then slid the flat of his tongue from back to front, once again avoided the aching nub. She was so swollen and engorged, it was stunning and his breath hitched in his throat for a moment. When his mouth first touched her in her sacred spot she had nearly shot off the bed shaking her head no, her cheeks flaming redder than he had ever seen them, it had spread from the beautiful globes of her breasts up to her hairline making him chuckle as he used his hands to pin her hips firmly to the bed again. **

"**Shh, just relax. I'm going to blow your mind, Angel, but first you have to relax, baby." Patch stroked circles on the satiny flesh covering her hips. **

**Again he swept his tongue through her slick folds, using the tip to slip between the very inner most folds. He continued to lap at the sweetness before him until he felt her relax again. **

"**You taste so damn good..." Patch growled softly, practically purring as he leisurely spent time kissing and nibbling the pouty folds of her nether lips, using his fingers to massage her mons while keeping his tongue relaxed to give her long, slow, caressing licks along her vulva and labia. Nora responded immediately, panting and moaning. After a few minutes he firmed up his tongue to add a bit more pressure. She tasted like the finest ambrosia and he couldn't get enough of her. **

**His efforts paid off and Nora whimpered in pleasure, forgetting her embarrassment she raised her hips, reaching down to rake her fingers through his silky black hair before pulling him more firmly to her. **

"**Oh God yes, Patch. Don't stop, please don't stop." Nora begged breathlessly.**

"**I have no intentions of stopping." He smiled up at her from against her heated flesh, continuing to lap at her sweet nectar dripping from her flower for several moments, before going back to suckling at the area around her clitoris, slithering his tongue along her labia again. He reveled in the way she writhed under the ministrations of his lips and tongue keeping her sensitive bundle swollen and needy, but not too hyper-sensitive.**

"**Patch..." Nora gasped when he flicked her clit gently with the tip of his tongue before swirling his tongue around it and sucking it gently between his lips, tapping it with his tongue lightly, alternating that with long sweeps of the flat part of his tongue to soothe her. Every other stroke of his tongue he would penetrate her with the tip and each time she would cry out his name. He was going to make sure she kept screaming out **_his _**name all night long.**

**With eager and experienced determination, Patch very quickly had Nora on the edge. He dipped his finger through her drenched folds, using her juices to lubricate it before easing one finger first into her weeping core. She was so very tight he groaned against her with a deep seated ache. She was so hot and so wet he slid in and out of her with ease making sure not to break her maiden hood, but starting to stretch her little by little to bring her more and more pleasure. Again she cried out his name, ****_HIS _****name, he was making her ****_HIS. _****Let any man try to beat this experience he thought to himself, then quickly stopped that line of thinking realizing he did NOT want to picture ANY other man _EVER_ touching her this way. He didn't have rights to ownership, he knew that, but her being with anyone else didn't set right with him. **

**Nora could feel she was on the verge of something big, she didn't know what that 'something' was yet, but every nerve in her body was on fire and just when it felt ready to explode Patch would switch up the pace or change angles, never quite giving her the relief she knew her body was begging for. **

**Patch gently wet a second finger, she ground her hips up into his face, the hand not pressing him to her was wound white knuckle tight in the bedding she still had. He continued his slow torture, switching up depth and pace, blowing every once in a while on the swollen peak of her essence. He wasn't doing this to be cruel, he was preparing her so that when he finally made them one it wouldn't hurt her so badly. Patch was gifted in more ways than one, he wasn't just good at what he did he was well endowed, since Nora had never been with a man he didn't want to hurt her or scare her out of what could be a lifetime of enjoyment. Seeing him was likely to frighten her enough since she'd never seen a man before. **

**He carefully added a third finger, it didn't take him long to feel she was wet enough and stretched enough that he was finally ready to give her her first mind-blowing orgasm of the night. He started with a slow steady pace with his fingers until he could feel her right at the edge of the abyss, he sucked her clit in through his lips giving it a gentle tug and rolling it with a tiny nip at the same time he curled his fingers forward against the spongy part of her interior G-spot massaging and thrusting into it faster and harder as he worked his mouth in time with his fingers. Nora growled and moaned bucking up into him as he wound her higher and higher. Right at the peak he replaced his thumb for his tongue and climbed up her body, wanting to see her face, look into her eyes when she reached the peak and fell over the first time. **

"**Look at me when you come." He purred, his voice deep with need, desire and demand. **

**Nora latched onto his lips in a scorching kiss full of desperation which he met head on. She could taste herself on his lips and tongue mixing with the flavor of Patch, while she thought she should be grossed out by it she found it oddly erotic. Her walls gave his fingers one last death grip, fluttering in a continues wave and he knew this was it. He gently pulled away from her lips so he could gaze onto her face, their eyes locked, endless obsidian to molten gray filled with lust, desire, adoration and love and in that instant Nora's scream exploded from deep inside her chest, she bucked and writhed against him wildly as she climaxed. He tried to keep her pinned, but it was like trying to tie down a lightening bolt. Never in his life had he seen something so incredibly beautiful. He kept his fingers moving and thumb, prolonging her orgasm, just as it started to slow he dipped his head back down letting her ride the rest of it out on his tongue. Nora flooded his mouth, she was deliciously magnificent in her pleasure. **

**Patch took his time savoring the sweet nectar gushing from her, it was heavenly. She gave a last few whimpered sighs and he lifted his face, smirking at the absolute exhausted euphoria on Nora's angelic face. She was covered in a light sheen of sweat as he pushed the wisps of hair off her face that had worked themselves free. The only words she seemed capable of saying were "oh my God and "wow, just, wow".**

**Oh yeah-he was **_that_** fucking good...**

**He let her come down from her high for a moment before beginning his next lesson with her that would send her to the moon and back.**

**With agonizing slowness, Patch ran his hands up Nora's calves, gently tracing the smooth skin with his fingertips, letting her experience every bit of the sense of *touch* just as he was. When he got to her toned, slender thighs, a shudder went through her and he licked his lips with exaggerated thoroughness. Nora started to moan quietly and Patch bit back a pleased smile.**

**Damn, but he **_loved _**hearing her moan for him.**

"**Nora." He slid further up her lithe frame, using his hands and tongue to get her engine revving again. "You know what I'd like to do?" Patch swirled his tongue around her nipple momentarily before he paused, raising his head from her breast to give her a deliciously lewd smile. "I'd like us to explore all five of the senses together." He lowered his head to suckle her nipple into his mouth. "To me this is taste." He released the hardened tip with a soft pop. Nora moaned deeply, arching her chest upwards. "But to you...that's touch, right?"**

"**Mmmhmm." Nora mumbled, her head swirling with the amazing new sensations he was bringing forth from her.**

"**Let's explore taste first..." Patch slid up her body and kissed her.**

**His tongue sweeping into her mouth. The first thing she tasted was herself again, the memory of Patch making her come with his mouth and fingers combined with the taste was making her hotter again. Her eyes drooped closed and she trailed her hands up his back, burying her fingers in his raven locks, tugging on the silky strands in her excitement. Nora wanted more-more kisses, more tastes-more of everything Patch.**

**She was purring with need as she rubbed against him like a cat in heat. Patch raised his head. "No fair, you're jumping ahead to touch without permission." He teased, nipping at her kiss swollen bottom lip.**

**His hands glided down to stop on her waist and sat her up. "Okay, since you're ready to move on to touch..." Nora's eyes drifted downwards to where Patch's erection was straining against his boxers, she stared, curious about what he would look like. **

**Patch smirked, then tapped her nose to get her attention. Her eyes flew up and he tipped her chin back so that her gray orbs met the dancing midnight sky of his eyes. His grin was cheeky at best. "No peeking. That's sight and that comes later." He mock scolded.**

"**Patch..." Nora wanted him, she wanted him sooner than later.**

**He slid his hand between her thighs. "Uh uh, no whining. Just...feel..." His fingers moved along her still damp folds, finding her sweet spots easily. "This...is touch, Nora." He whispered seductively, expertly playing with her pleasure spot, playing it like a virtuoso. He hesitated, as if poised to retreat. "Do you want me to stop?"**

**Nora's head fell back. "No...God no...please..." She said feverishly as she ground down upon the talented fingers playing her body like his favorite finely tuned instrument.**

**Pleased with her response; Patch's hands went back to work, delivering his own special brand of magic to Nora's needy body. "We've explored taste and touch..." He paused and let his fingers slip from her dripping folds. Nora gave an urgent little cry of torment when he stopped touching her. He soothed her with gentle words, petting her hair back from her sweaty brow. "Shhh. I told you patience is a virtue, Angel." He lowered his head until they were eye to eye. "Do you trust me?"**

**Nora swallowed thickly. She'd always trusted him, she trusted him with her heart even if he didn't know he had it. With a small nod she answered. "Yes." She breathed. "I trust you." There wasn't anyone else she would trust being with like this the way she did Patch.**

**A slow dangerously sinful smile curled his wickedly sensual lips up. "Good. Now, let's move on to sight." Patch took hold of her hips and situated her in the middle of the large bed. He put a pillow under her hips and a couple behind her head. "Comfy?" He asked with a devilish grin.**

**They faced each other, both aroused to the point of pain. Nora was aching-literally throbbing for him, it was all so new, part of her wanted to rush forward, to feel him inside of her, the other part thought this was so hot she desperately wanted to see where he'd take it. She'd heard the term foreplay before, but this wasn't what she'd expected. Patch was being a true sensualist much to her delight. His time and creativity was helping her over look the anxiety that flowed and ebbed through her off and on. She found herself wanting to learn and share this even more with him now than before.**

**She gave him an answering smile that was just as naughty. "Very." She bent her knees parting her legs just a fraction, giving him a peek.**

**Patch's eyes widened at how quick she'd turned the tables on him. "Aren't you the quick learner?"**

**Nora bit back a giggle of delight at how turned on he looked. "Well, this **_is _**the sense of sight, right?"**

**Patch swallowed hard as she let her finger tips trail lightly down her flat tummy. "Yeah." He growled. Little minx, how did this little wisp of a thing know how to drive a man with his kind of experience fucking crazy her first time out of the gate?! He licked his lips in appreciation. Oh, she was **_so _**meant for him!...only she wasn't...forget that for now he admonished himself. Two could play this game.**

**Patch sat back on his heels; his onyx eyes taking in her body like a feast fit for a king. Her eyes fluttered closed and she gave a ragged sigh as she teased the area around the places he'd so recently tasted. Patch's hand went to his erection, rubbing it lightly up and down through the fabric.**

"**I want to see you..." Nora's eyes followed the movement of his hands.**

"**Then do it." He wanted to see if she would or not and was pleasantly surprised when she reached forward, hooking both hands through the waistband on each side of his hips before looking up into his eyes for another okay.**

"**It's okay, Angel, I told you you could." He reassured her softly, thankful she was at ease enough to initiate the next move on her own.**

**Slowly she lowered his boxers down his legs until he could kick them off. Nora's eyes slowly raised shyly up to where Patch's erection rode high on his stomach, she was transfixed by the sight of him. She'd never seen a guy before, but she was sure from the drawings she'd seen in health class and from hearing other girls talk that he wasn't like other men. From what she knew, man's anatomy wasn't good-looking at all, but Patch was beautiful, if a penis could be called such, it was fitting for a man as beautiful and sexy as him. She was a little taken aback by his impressive size and girth, she didn't know how big they were supposed to be, but she was sure he was more than average. In fact, looking at the size of him made her very nervous again. **

"**Are you sure that will...umm...fit?" She squeaked.**

**Patch laughed at her innocence. That was what he loved best, the way she was both adorable and sexy as fuck. Not just anyone could pull that off, certainly not Dabria. "It will fit." She narrowed her eyes a moment at him. "Do you still trust me?" He raised an eyebrow.**

"**Of course I trust you, I've trusted you since the day I met you, but...isn't that going to hurt?" She glanced down at him again.**

"**I'll try to make it as least painful as I can, remember what I told you, there will be initial pain, but that will fade away quickly I've been told." Patch said seriously. He wasn't going to lie, he wanted, _needed_ her to trust him.**

"**Okay." Nora took a deep breath then wrapped her small arms around his neck pulling him in for a sweet kiss. Slowly he lowered his body back down with hers until she was laying back against the bed again and he was hovering over her. Taking her hand in his he brought it down to grasp his shaft, with her hand around him and his hand around hers he slid the crown of his impressive erection through her lips, lubricating himself and teasing both of them. Slowly but surely he helped her work herself up using his body. Sliding back and forth the length of her, circling her once again throbbing bundle of nerves.**

"**Can we move on to sound now?" She whispered, causing him to open his eyes and look at her questioningly having forgotten the senses they were exploring.**

"**Sound?" He asked confused and then the light came on. "You're ready to move on?" He teased.**

"**I really like those sounds you make, I want to hear you make them when you're inside of me. All those hot little growls, they're so sexy I want to hear them again...now." She said shyly, but her eyes looked determined and full of sheer lust.**

**If it was possible, Patch's cock swelled even more, all of his blood he was sure was now localized in his favorite appendage. He had intended on taking more time, but hearing Nora say that was **_all _**the encouragement he needed.**

**Again, Patch couldn't help but think that this girl was so fucking meant for him. He shuddered to think of all her fire that might be wasted on someone else's poor excuse of foreplay. She was so very, very passionate, she'd need someone with at least her intensity if not more to keep up with her. **

**He leaned over and still helping her tease herself with his cock answered. "Mmm, how about we explore all five senses at once?" He suggested, brushing his soft, oh-so-kissable-lips along hers for a barely there kiss that had Nora leaning forward to capture his succulent mouth in a much deeper kind of kiss.**

**Patch let her take control; parting his lips so her inquisitive little tongue could tangle with his. He turned his head to allow her even deeper penetration and exploration, Nora took the hint, surging forward to ravage his mouth, moaning in ecstasy as she savored the delectable taste that was pure Patch.**

**With her hips positioned on the pillows to lift her to an angle to be the most pleasurable he pressed his groin firmly against her, the head of his cock still sliding along her folds, but never entering her all the way. He was almost trembling with need, his head was spinning and it was taking every ounce of his control not to fuck her into the mattress. **

**He wanted her first time to be earth-shattering, he was determined to make it just that.**

"**To me, this is all five senses." He told her. "With the candle light I can see how very, very wet you are and..." His voice lowered an octave and became rough and gravely. "It makes me so fucking hard." He licked his lips. "I can smell how aroused you are. It's like the sweetest of perfumes, tantalizing me, drawing me in and making me want you like I've never wanted anything, Angel." He groaned.**

**Between his words and the feel of them rubbing him against her her body started to shake, reaching for that release again. Just when it was reaching a fever pitch his eyes met hers and he helped her guide the tip of him into her. Inch by careful inch he would move forward then pull almost all the way out before sliding back in a little farther agonizingly slow deeper and deeper. His eyes squeezed shut, **_NOTHING AND HE MEANT NOTHING HAD EVER FELT THIS GOOD, THIS...RIGHT._** She fit him like a glove, again he wanted to plunge into her HARD again and again, nailing her to the bed taking her over and over marking her as his until she couldn't scream his name anymore, but she deserved better, so much better than that so he bit his lip until it bled and continued his tortured pace. **

**Soon enough he reached that thin stretch of tissue that marked her as a virgin, as sacred ground that had never been touched. He reached between their bodies and stroked her engorged and swollen clit until he knew she was wound as tight as she could go again and just as he pushed her over the edge he swiftly broke through and stopped, keeping their eyes locked. He saw nothing in her gaze or her face that would signify pain of any sort and he thanked his lucky stars, he didn't think he could live with himself if he had hurt her even a little, even if he had been prepared with the knowledge that that's just how it was for girls, no, her gaze matched his with the same benevolent worship he reserved only for her and she only reserved for him. He was still holding still, letting her adjust to both his length and girth but she grew impatient, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist rolling her hips trying to get the friction both of them were so desperately needing. He knew that neither of them was going to last at this rate, but he set the pace slow and steady once again. That lasted mere moments before neither of them could keep it up and they were soon speeding up with Nora meeting him thrust for thrust almost violently (oh yeah, there's definitely a wildcat in there he thought with a smirk). They were moaning, groaning and growling each others names in a symphony of sound so perfectly in tune with each other. Like a perfectly choreographed dance between lifelong partners they drove each other to heights of nirvana neither of them had ever been.**

**Nora screamed his name, his jaw tightened at how astonishingly good she felt wrapped around him. Oh fuck! Almost too damned good. He tried to gain back some control but it was no use. He **_needed _**to fuck her, but he couldn't, so he did the next best thing. He'd drive her as crazy as she was making him.**

**He bent his head and swirled his tongue around her nipple. Nora's head tipped back and she gasped. "See, the way you gasp and shiver...the way you scream my name...they all make me crazy." He panted softly in her ear, his breath tickling her and his voice gritty with pent-up lust.**

"**Patch." She whimpered, putting her feet against his thighs and arching up.**

"**Do you have any idea what you're doing to me? Fuck, the way you look right now, the way you smell... I want to rub myself all over you until the only thing you smell and feel is me." His eyes were wide, his pupil huge, his gaze so intense, so dark Nora became lost in them.**

**It was pure sensory overload for Nora, the only thing firing properly were those five senses they'd spent so much time exploring. Talking was impossible beyond mainly one word syllables. She wrapped her thighs tighter around him, holding him as close as possible as he thrust fast, deep, powerful strokes into her, his rhythm sending hot molten lava coursing through her veins. Her nails raked along his shoulders and down his back as she clung to him, silently begging him for more. Coherency was gone, the only thing going through her head was bliss, mindless, heavenly bliss. **_OH-MY-FUCKING-GOD, _**kind of joy you only experience when you've found the one that really makes your body sing.**

**They were so close, Patch gripped her thigh and pulled it over his shoulder while keeping the other locked around his waist. He drove into her with hard, rapid thrusts, angling his hips and grinding against her on the down thrust so that he could hit her clit and her g-spot in one swoop to send her flying right along with him.**

**She scratched him hard, feeling his muscles bunch and ripple under her hands as he pounded into her. **

**Patch raised her other leg over his shoulder somehow getting deeper than before. Nora's body bucked up into him and his eyes clenched shut as her inner walls clamped down on him, rippling their approval and signaling her orgasm.**

"**Patch!" She screamed again, loud enough to wake the dead as the first wave hit her. Her body giving long, hard rhythmic squeezes milking his cock as she soaked it in her juices. Her orgasm begging for his then she whimpered his name in the most erotic way and it hit him with the fierceness of a perfect storm. This was nirvana, his entire body went taught, his stomach clenched and his balls tightened. Oh god he could feel it. The sperm collecting in his sack, circling up and through his pulsating cock every nerve short circuiting as the first wave hit sending him flying into the heavens with her. This was an orgasm like one he'd never experienced before, he'd never climaxed so hard, it took his breath away. He yelled out her name as his body relinquished the build up of hot come. He gave her everything he had spurt after fierce spurt of come exploded out of him covering, painting, searing and burning every centimeter of her womb with his essence. Like a cannon on repeat fire it went on endlessly, both of them lost in time and space with nothing existing outside of them and each others body's. When the last of the trembling vibrations left their body's, when the final wave reached the shore sliding softly across the sands and their life force's had mixed like the river to the sea flowing out of him and together inside of her they slowly came to a stop.**

**With a tender, love filled kiss to her forehead he whispered to her. "You're mine, Angel."**

**"I'm yours." Nora agreed quietly, his forehead still resting against hers, both of their eyes closed.**

**Patch turned them over so she was laying on top of him without pulling out. With his arms wrapped securely around her and a peppering of kisses and the soothing strokes of his hand over her hair and down her spine as she listened to his heart slow down she fell asleep and he stayed awake just long enough to her her breathing even out before he gave into his heavy lids and joined her in a peaceful, satiated slumber.**

**They woke many more times that night to repeat their dance of intimacy knowing that their time was limited. In the early hours of the morning they ravished each other again in the shower before cleaning each other completely. Patch shampooed and conditioned Nora's thick almost waist length hair, massaging her scalp eliciting moans of appreciation that had his body wanting to claim her again to pull more sounds from her. Instead he let her wash him from head to toe before he returned the favor and they rinsed off together. After drying off they put on their clothes from the night before, thankful for the shower to rid them both of their well fucked hair that would have been a little harder for her to hide since he had taken the pins out of her hair letting it cascade down her back somewhere in the night. Luckily she had packed a brush in her purse. She needed to get back home before anyone missed her and he needed to get back to Dabria, whom he'd left at her parents house after the call from Rixon. The car ride back to her place was a comfortably quiet one. They had made a silent agreement to never speak of that night again.**

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><p><strong>DUH DUH DUH...WHAT'S NEXT FOR THESE TWO? YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT TO FIND OUT...I KNOW, I'M EVIL LIKE THAT ;) <strong>

**Thanks to those who are reviewing and enjoying my story and to those of you new to it plz plz plz spend a second to review. It helps feed my muse so I get more done quicker, it helps me improve and generally brightens my days :)**


	10. Chapter 10 - I SPY

_**CHAPTER 10**_

_**I SPY**_

**They may have planned on their activities going unseen, but that didn't mean they did. Grandma was in the right place at the right time like usual to witness Nora climbing out of Patch's black jeep without her being seen. A knowing smile lit her face, she knew her grandchildren and she knew them well. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what had happened the night before and why she was climbing out of his jeep in the same clothes she'd left in instead of that kid's she'd gone to the dance with when Patch had been seven hours drive away. Only one thing would bring him back...Nora.**

**Nora was an adult now, she'd had several years under her belt of unrequited love. She'd long ago accepted things were as they were, but it didn't change how she felt. She took her grandma's words seriously, she was trying to follow her heart and Patch owned that. Grandma knew that Patch hadn't caught on, men rarely do, in matters of the heart they are usually the last to know what's going on inside a woman's head. Marriage or not grandma held out for the two of her kids to come together. No good could come from a girl like Dabria. They would just have to move forward and redouble up their plan to dig into Dabria's past and life to see what she was trying to pull **_before_** Patch said 'I do'. Little did she know it wouldn't take much longer at all.**

**Two weeks after her prom night standing alone in front of the towns wishing fountain Nora tossed in a coin, saying the most selfish words she had ever thought or spoken. She wished that Patch wouldn't marry Dabria, that she would have a chance to find out what she kept sensing was wrong when his fiancé was around. Even if he never gave her a chance she didn't want him marrying Dabria. **

**Nora had followed her competition and there was definitely something amiss so she started carrying a camera with her at all times, an idea grandma had come up with. Soon she was rewarded (if you could call it that when you find out something that will effect your best friend's life so negatively) when she spotted little Miss High Society with all her perfection coming and going from several hotel rooms with wealthy men and freshly fucked hair after leaving when it had been in perfect place when she went in. Her clothes weren't neat and straight upon exiting either. Nora captured it all on video with a gut-wrenching sickness in her stomach. **

**Nora's heart broke for Patch, but she needed more proof. She couldn't rip his heart out with information like that if she wasn't one hundred percent proof positive it was a fact not only a hunch. The next time she saw 'sweet Dabria' disappear into a hotel room with a man she had a small hand-held recorder ready. That tape made it very clear that they were doing more than talking when her and Clista hit play and the sound of two people fucking rang out loud and clear along with Dabria's name being called by another man in the throes of passion and then her voice. **

**Even with critical evidence like this, damning evidence, Nora struggled with what was the right thing to do here. Did she confront Dabria with a warning? Did she let it go and hope it stopped or did she tell her best friend who was deeply and madly in love with that horrendous evil bitch screaming someone else name. With the type of men Dabria was carrying on affairs with it left no question in her mind that she was a woman after money and to make a name for herself, obviously not one based on her actions Nora thought bitterly, or she'd be known as a low class call girl. Nora didn't have fault with the profession, whatever floats your boat, but there wasn't anything high class in Dabria, no doubt she was high priced and high risk. What if she didn't tell Patch and he learned later that she knew and didn't say anything, that she let him vow his love and heart to a woman who would repeatedly screw him behind his back. He might never forgive her.**

**Nora's biggest fear for him had been realized, to her horror Patch had been being played the whole time and she didn't think it was just by Dabria, other things that had happened during the time she was tailing the slut gave her good enough confirmation that their own parents who should have loved and protected him, their own flesh and blood, hadn't for their own selfish reasons.**

**If she showed Patch the recordings, video and audio, would the evidence she had tailed his fiancé behind his back make it look like she was purposely trying to destroy his heart and his happy ever after like Dabria had continued to accuse her of? After much reflection and talking to their grandma she decided either way Patch was destined to find out and it would be better to have that happen before the wedding than after it. She would put her feelings about everything aside, her love for him, her hate for Dabria, all of it to the side because this wasn't about her or her heartache this was about Patch and he was going to be hurt and be angry and he would need her there to help him pick up whatever pieces they could of his life and heart when this was over. He had always been there when she was hurt or in pain and now it was her turn to be his shoulder. She just hoped he would understand she had only done this to protect him and that if the situation were reversed he would have done the same thing for her no questions about it. **

**That night she sat Patch down and after a couple of glasses of his favorite top shelf bourbon (which put him on instant alert that Nora was about to tell him something he wasn't going to like hearing if she thought softening him with alcohol was necessary) she told him what she had found and showed him the proof. He knew he wouldn't like what she had to say, but never in a million years would he have guessed this or been prepared. At first he shut down completely, his face going blank and his body statue still. Slowly she could see the walls she had watched him so carefully build around himself through the years crumble before her very eyes in a way only she would ever witness. Pain, disbelief and betrayal flashed in his eyes and across his perfect face. Then a mirage of other feeling ending in hurt and rage took over and in an instant the walls that had fallen were erected higher and thicker than ever. Impenetrable. Patch had never really let anyone in or loved anyone beyond Nora until Dabria. Dabria had bragged she was the one who stole his heart and made him a one woman man after his disgraceful past. Not even his closest friends, Angelo and Gianni ever got past the first set of walls, no he had hidden behind his jokes, his smirk and his there and gone one second smile that promised he was as dangerous and deadly to your heart as he was sexy and easy on the eyes. His flirty gestures and double meanings were all for keeping people on their toes and clueless about how little they really knew about him. Patch was a master of disguise and only Nora knew the hurt the pain and the deep thoughts and feeling that went on in the head and heart of Patch Cipriano. She knew ****_EVERYTHING _****there was to know about him; his favorite foods, books, colors, music, she knew his dreams and aspirations, his heartaches and his worries. **

**Patch may have thought that Dabria had been the love of his life, but there were already warnings going off in his head he was trying to ignore. Like the way Dabria spoke about Nora and looked at her had him seeing red. He knew she had a katty side, he just didn't know she would stoop so low and be so inconsiderate as to do this. The thing that had bothered him almost as much as this news was how 'right' things had felt that night with Nora. Being with her, being **_inside _**her felt like coming home of sorts. With the evidence of Dabria's misconduct laying before him he put those nagging thoughts and feelings aside to deal with this new revelation.**

**She fooled him once she wouldn't fool him twice, Patch broke off the engagement and his parents were enraged, so much so that they literally disowned him. They kicked him out of their house the second he said the words 'there's not going to be a wedding' telling him he was no longer their son. **

**No one ever knew outside of Patch and Clista that it was Nora that had been behind the incriminating discovery. That didn't mean she didn't get drug right into the deadliest part of the storm by Dabria. Dabria was instantaneous in her accusation of Nora being behind his decision to end their engagement. She wailed loudly that it was his love for his friend that caused their split and told all of their parents, hers, his and Nora's that it was Nora's fault the merger of the family's wasn't going to happen. She left no mistake the hate she had for the younger girl, even when Nora had tried her hardest to begin with to befriend the heinous bitch. She'd have done **_anything _**for Patch so long as he was happy, even if that meant losing her hope for him and her being something more, to be friends with the person who held his heart. **

**Dabria seemed to have known right away how deeply in love Nora was with Patch and she used it every chance she got to punish her with it until Nora had snapped. **

**Initially Nora had felt a sickening guilt for what they had done on her Prom night, but the way she was being treated turned that guilt right around and the meaner Dabria got the angrier Nora became until she renewed her vow to find out what the conniving bitch was up to and put her grandma's plan into action. Nothing had added up and yet everything had. It was all **_too _**perfect...Dabria was too perfect, the timing was too perfect. Their parents all knowing her and so instantly involved and supportive had set off more alarms than wedding bells in her and Clista's heads.**

**With the notoriety of Patch's family and Dabria's the split was tabloid heaven. The engagement had made headlines so the break up was a hit in a sickening way. Patch Cipriano, the famous playboy had been ready to settle down, considering having a family and attending college. The public had found their perfect princess and the sexy knight in shining armor. The rich would become richer and the sky was the limit. Perfect for everyone...except Patch and Nora.**

**Paparazzi**** parked out on their front lawns and were hiding everywhere they went to get 'the money shot'. Who would look heartbroken, everyone wanted to know. Patch refused to give even a sentence of a statement and tried his best to avoid pictures while his parents attempted to pay off any stories that cast them in an 'unsavory' light. They announced instead that the marriage had been 'put on temporary hold due to business requirements that had their schedules at odds'. This was exactly what Patch had expected from his parents, what he hadn't expected was what was coming next.**

**The day the story broke and his parents issued 'their' statement, Patch had gone over to the Grey's to seek comfort and support from Nora. Harrison and Blythe had loved Dabria as much as the Cipriano's and with as much to gain as the other family's they were hot over the news Patch would have the audacity to call it quits. After letting himself in as he had always done he heard raised voices, actually shouting was more accurate. Nora's parents had her cornered demanding she choose between them and Patch. He was a disgrace as always to his family and their good names and she ****_WOULD _****be marrying Rixon if she wanted to stay in the family or she could join Patch and be disowned as their daughter, and like Patch all her money and ties with the family would be cut.**

**It didn't take Nora a split second to think, she would ****_ALWAYS _****choose Patch and with that she left to pack her stuff leaving her stunned, yet also unsurprised parents behind. None of them had been aware of Patch's approach. He was speechless. **

**The Grey's always felt that he had corrupted their perfect daughter, that Patch was no good for her. They would later accuse him of making her "offers and promises" she couldn't refuse at her age of ignorance. They would comfort themselves saying she would grow up and realize he only ever brought her down and they were sure she would take her place again in their family instead of choosing to be a community outcast after the public humiliation of being disowned by the famous Grey family. The only reason Patch and Nora had been allowed such a longstanding friendship is the threat Clista made on their parents in support of 'her kids'.**

**Patch was snapped out of his shock by the slamming of Nora's bedroom door, quickly he climbed the stairs opening the door. Nora didn't even glance, she had heard him coming up the stairs and recognized his footsteps. Right away she had known he had heard everything and that broke her heart a little bit more.**

"**Angel, you don't have to do this. We won't have anything, I can't do that to you, this should never have gone this far for you. You shouldn't be in this situation, Nora. It was my decision and my decision alone to not marry Dabria. I broke off the engagement not you, you shouldn't lose everything because of me." He said softly.**

**Nora stopped for a moment and turned, cupping his face in her small hands. "Patch, it has **_always _**been you and I, they were never there. Ever. It was ****_YOU _****that has taken care of me, I wouldn't have survived all I have if it wasn't for you. Neither of us would have survived without each other and you know that. Is there anyone who can read us like we can each other? You've been my best friend, my protector, my guardian, my cook, my Doctor, my parent, my brother, you've chased away the bogey man and monsters under my bed, you've been on call since I was five with my nightmares we still can't prevent, you've been my lover and a part of my heart and a part of my life has always been in you. Sorry Mr. Patch Cipriano, like it or not we are each others life line and rock and you are stuck with me. Right now it looks like your needing those two things, as for me, my choice was made when I was five and a little boy moved next door and took me under his wing. My parents have spent the better half of my childhood trying to intimidate and threat me, but Patch, the only thing that truly scares me is losing you, so as your very best, not to mention sexiest AND smartest friend, where you go I will follow. I always have, I always will." With a gentle pat on his cheek she turned around to busy herself with the rest of her packing.**

**Patch smiled a smile that melted her heart when she saw it out of the corner of her eye. **

"**You know, Angel, I met a girl who made quite an impression on me when I was younger too, kinda like the neighbor boy you were talking about. She was a little younger than me though, she followed me around and grew on me until we sort of stuck like glue. I don't know what I'd do without her, especially now. Everything inside of me is one giant fucked up mess. I don't know how to think, feel, or react. There are no guarantees with me anymore other than I'm swearing off relationships permanently. Love is cheap, painful, and overrated so in lieu of that I will go back to useful but meaningless one night stands and my second best friend, bourbon. Angel, I have nothing to give you aside from the friendship you already have and maybe a little 'release' if you're ever in need or inclined..." He winked and gave her one of his million dollar smirks. Yeah, he was going right back to flirting his way out of any and all real emotions. "I wouldn't want my best friend getting 'frustrated' on me, that wouldn't make for very pleasant company." He gave her such a suggestive look it got her heart racing and just as she was getting ready to hit him he winked at her. Friends with benefits with Patch Cipriano, sex god, body of Adonis, the only man she had ever been sexual with, the only man she ****_loved...THAT _****could get very interesting, smirked Nora. **

**Between friendly playful elbow jabs and flirting faces they finished packing, both of them had thoughts of her Prom night in their heads...future potential? A chance for him to unlock that wild little tiger vixen he was sure she had leashed up in there? **

**The thing that people missed about Nora is she wasn't as helpless or stupid or even spineless as people might mistakenly assume. It takes a strong girl to grow up in a family with no love and succeed in life and at school, an even wiser one to grow up without a positive example of what love is, what it means and how you act when you're in love and still manage to have the compassion and, well, love she had for others. Nora's parents didn't only neglect to teach her the facts of life, they neglected to teach her the facts of the heart, and yet she knew how to love in a way most adults didn't. She hadn't been tricked into how she felt for Patch, the love she gave and devotion were choices she made. Sure there was pain involved, there usually is and they had faced and were facing a lot of tough challenges at a very young age. True love isn't something that you force a person to earn and snatch away every time they do something you don't like. It's a gift you give, you love them through their hard times in spite of their flaws. Patch had an even worse example with his parents, his home bordered dangerously close to physical abuse, yet he was compassionate and tender with Nora. He had a lot to learn and Nora recognized that as they were setting off into a new life with new adventures together. It wasn't going to be smooth, not at all, Patch just had his heart ripped out. Like an angel with his wings torn he'd fallen from the heavens and landed square on his ass in cold harsh reality. How much strength would it show for her to walk away from him for being human, for making mistakes? Sometimes hope appears weak when it's not, giving up is the easy route and often the things most worth having are the hardest to achieve. Whatever happened in the future she was walking into it with both eyes open, they were in for a hell of a bumpy ride, of that she was sure. Her best friend was going to need time and she had a lot of that. Maybe they would just be friends, maybe they would be friends and lovers, maybe he'd eventually see what was staring him in the face all along or maybe Nora would find something else along the way. Whatever happened they took comfort in each others presence and now more than ever they were grateful for the love, friendship and acceptance they had in each other.**

**Initially they stayed at Clista's place for as long as they could until their parents made it unbearable. They assured their grandma they had enough money to make it on their own and with a promise to call and visit as much as possible. With that they said their good-bye's and headed off into the city. When they said they had money to live, they didn't say how well they would live...**

**At first they lived in the scariest part of the city in a dump with more problems than you would think even a 'slumlord' could have. For now it was a roof over their heads as they worked their way up from the bottom. There was a certain pride in knowing they weren't living from anyone else money. It was bad though, even the cockroaches and rats turned their noses up at their place, but they refused to let Clista know of their situation or help. This was their choice and they would make it on their own. Knowing their grandma she would force her money on them, insisting it wasn't a problem and had no strings or paybacks attached. They each understood the others need to prove they could do this on their own, well, mainly Patch needed to prove he could still take care of the only person still in his life, the person who loved him through all his faults...and boy did he have a lot of them, especially after Dabria. **

**Patch reminded Nora at least once a day that she could go back, leave this dump, this lifestyle for one he felt she deserved and he wasn't able to give her yet. She would insist she would always love and accept him in any condition, she wasn't going to leave his side. She was as stubborn as he was. He knew he was lucky to have ever met someone like Nora.**

**There were other problems besides just the shitty apartment. Often they had little or nothing to eat so Nora took a job as a waitress. That was a huge help because even though it was against policy, the cook understood the young couples situation and admired their hard work and dedication to each other and making it independently so he would box up and hide any and all 'mistakes' he made and send them home each day with Nora.**

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><p><strong>FOOD FOR THOUGHT: <strong>_If you are reading a story you don't like, stop reading. If you don't like how a character is written or a part then write it yourself. Many great writers start out that way, I often find characters in stories I hate, especially girls I want to beat over the head, but I'm not going to criticize someone for it. I either quit reading or now I write them how I want or change the story, even if I don't post it (trust me I have a LOT of stuff I don't post that falls in that category). We can't all write the characters the exact same way and NO ONE is ever going to write a character/story exactly how you want so if you're unhappy...do something about it. It takes a lot of courage to post things on here, people aren't always the nicest so keep that in mind. Most of us are just starting out, many have no experience and it's just a hobby to share something we love with other people who love it too. I would never come into your home and start telling you how you arranged your furniture telling you I don't like it was all wrong, when you tear someone's stories apart you're basically doing the same thing. You're stories are a part of you, a part of your thoughts and even your feelings, it all goes into it. Positive critique is one thing, cruelty is another whether it's to me or anyone else...so if you don't like it write it yourself, you may find you enjoy it and you won't be raining on anyone else day or use the handy little button called a mouse, click it and move on to a different story. :)_


	11. Chapter 11 - Changes

_****SMUT WARNING** **I needed a little naughty Nora time...sometimes a girls got to take things into their own hands...or mouth. This is not my specialty, well in the sense of experience so if it sucks ((no pun intended)) then I'm sorry. My writing is a work in progress... feel free to review (((PLEASE!))) NO FLAMES!_

_Often the greatest pleasures in life are the one's given, not received..._

_There's a lot under the surface with these two that is easy to miss if you're not really looking beyond the superficial 'stuff'. That's often common in the things I've witnessed so at least in this story it rings true for them as well. I think it did in a way in the saga. Patch said a lot of things that weren't complete truths, but were never lies because there was more going on then met the eye. I believe there was a lot about Patch we never got to know, the guy lived a hell of a long time to not have experienced more than we learned in those books. He is an enigma and while this Patch isn't quite so much there is a side like I said that's brewing under the surface too easily over looked and labeled something it's really not. Even if it was, I will probably piss people off by saying this, but even if he was that bad, if Nora is stupid enough to stick around she's asking for it, no one to blame but herself. Patch isn't abusing her, he isn't threatening her so... **Damn, climbing off that soapbox, sorry guys...ON WITH THE STORY! :)~**_

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><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 11<strong>_

_**CHANGES**_

For a while Nora barely recognized Patch from the boy/man she had always been so in love with. She never lost sight of the heart and soul hidden behind the walls, buried deep under the disfiguring scars Dabria had left him with. Only Clista and Nora ever got to see flashes of a genuine smile anymore. Patch still protected Nora and would do anything for her, but now those walls even stood around his heart for her. She'd always be the closest person to him, the one he loved more than himself, but never the way he could have before his heart was broken. Maybe it was worse because the resemblance was so strong between Nora and Dabria with the difference being who they were as people. Dabria, was like an Angel of Death, she brought death to a part of Patch. Nora bright light to him.

When Patch had said he was going back to his old ways, he'd meant it. He not only went back to them, he embraced them with a whole new dedication. No lady would _ever _hold Patch's heart again, or have the power to hurt him the way Dabria had, of that he was making sure. He was dead serious when he warned Nora without ever knowing his words were a crushing blow to the girl who had dreamed of life with him. She took what she could though because the alternative was living without Patch and that wasn't an option, not to her. To Nora life without Patch would be like trying to live without air for her lungs and blood to circulate in her body. They had been a part of each other for almost twenty years, she knew better than anybody that the man Patch was today was NOT the man he ever intended or wanted to be. It wasn't all his fault, the people who should have loved him, his parents, his ex... if 'she' would have felt for him all that Nora did or been willing to do the things that Nora would do than he would be a better man, he would be the man he had once dreamed he would be. Instead Dabria had laid ruin to him, and while Nora had a piece of his heart that he would have never given to anyone else, he was still a changed man. He had a fortress around his heart to protect against romantic love and relationships on any and all levels, complete with a moat that not even Nora could breach. For the most part she held tight to the hope that one day he would lower the draw bridge for his dreams and aspirations, and maybe, just maybe, he would see her as being the other half of them the way their grandma predicted they were meant to be. Nora could move on right now, but what good is it to move on without your heart? He may not have a ring on her finger, but he had slipped one around her heart way too long ago for her to walk away just yet. If she did meet somebody she wouldn't be able to give them what they deserved, and she'd never be satisfied with them because they would never be Patch. No one ever died from being loved, they died when that love was lost, there was never any doubt that Patch had always loved Nora and always would, that kept her love for him from dying down. Her love for him was like a sandcastle built too close to the water, every woman washed in like a wave, threatening to ruin her castle that love had built before washing back out, and although it took endless amounts of patience and hard work to maintain the castle it was worth it to her. Everyone deserves that one person that see's the things in you that nobody else does, the potential that might be hidden under endless debris. Nora knew she deserved that, why wouldn't he?

Nora stood firmly at Patch's side, her mask fully intact to hide that longing and consuming desire for _more, more _of anything Patch. At the end of the day they were the one solid thing in each others life and they would cling to that. Some things never change, like that, but others do...

Patch had to get Nora out of that apartment so he found Bella and Shadow who had refused to even speak or look at Nora for months and months following her choice to choose Patch over everything else. Her friends lived in the city now like them, only they lived in a better part of town, both were attending college and they had an extra room they were looking to rent so Patch worked out a deal with the girls so Nora had a better place to stay and her two friends back, and he could sleep somewhat better for now knowing she was safe. It killed him to be away from the girl who had always been at his side or across the street, but it was worth it to have that peace of mind.

Patch took whatever jobs he could, even some in the 'adult' industry (Nora would have killed him!) so that he could move them out of that hell hole and put food in both of their stomachs and little extra spending cash in their pockets. He would do anything to support his Angel. The 'adult' work that he did was meaningless to him, he had always been more of a novelty to women and now women were nothing more than toys to him to toss away when playtime was over.

When he had enough saved he moved and then he saved and moved again, each time to a better and better place, he still wasn't in a place he felt was good enough for Nora though.

Every night he had at least one if not two different girls in his bed and a bottle or two of bourbon by his side to numb the pain and loneliness he hid from others. If he was lucky the numbness lasted the twenty minutes the girls could entertain him before he got bored or the numbness faded and the pain returned.

Patch _**ALWAYS **_without fail used a condom, never ever ever an exception whether birth control was an issue or not it didn't matter to him. She could have had a hysterectomy and he would wear a condom, they put distance between him and whomever he was with in the moment. It was yet another barrier, symbolic of the one he used to protect his heart. It also served to protect Nora.

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><p>~~<strong><span>FLASHBACK<span>**- _PATCH MOVES UP AND OUT OF HELL-HIS FIRST PLACE POST RAT HOLE_~~

_Patch had come by yesterday and given a spare key to his new place to Nora. This was a very exciting turn of events for both. Nora hated the idea that while she slept in relative comfort, he was stuck in hell. She hadn't taken him up on his offer to 'release her frustrations' or invoked his offer for 'benefits', but then she had read 50 Shades of Grey... When you live with a man or sleep next to a man who exhales, oozes and drips pheromones and then you read a book like that... well it isn't a giant leap to guess her 'inner goddess' wanted to 'salsa'. She wasn't interested in most of the stuff in there herself... a few things had caught her eye she had never thought of before, like blindfolds and handcuffs... After a quick stop at the 'LOVERS PACKAGE' she headed out to Patch's place. With her purchase tucked safely in her purse until she could scope out a place to stash it in his apartment she headed up and let herself in the door. She planned on surprising him so she hadn't phoned or text ahead. She knew he was home after seeing his jeep parked out front anyways._

_Nora slid the key in the key slot excited to see the new house and see Patch again, hopefully spend some time with him since he was working so much and they didn't have privacy at her place. Bella and Shadow were still making it very clear their feelings when it came to one Patch Cipriano were. When the door swung open she took in the new place. The furniture was simple, all dark like she would expect and the place was impeccably clean and tidy, also what she expected. Patch was a meticulous person, he liked things neat and in order for a guy who's favorite form of transportation was a Harley Davidson vintage sportscaster and one of his favorite pastimes involved fighting you wouldn't immediately assume he would be either of those things. Along the far wall was a flat screen TV and a nice stereo that he had playing. Nora called his name but got no response so she closed the door and started to walk through the apartment in search of him when she heard the shower running. Immediately her thoughts returned to the morning after Prom night and the shower her and Patch had shared after their night of passion. Her eyes closed and her tongue ran across her lips. Before she really realized what she was doing her feet had moved her to where the bathroom door was slightly ajar. How convenient that it was open just enough for a full view of the Adonis standing under the shower head in the glass enclosure. Nora almost drooled as if she had never seen a naked man before, never seen Patch before. God he was glorious, his eyes were closed and his face was tilted up into the spray, water droplets where coursing over his bronze skin. Her mouth went dry and she swallowed...hard, and then a light came on and a wicked little smile spread across her face. Nora returned to the living room and slowly turned the stereo up so he wouldn't hear her approach or the shower door if it worked out right._

_With a stomach full of butterfly's doing a dance of nerves and lust she stepped soundless into the shower like a large cat stalking its prey. He was prey alright, he was her prey. _

_Quietly she set down the items in her hand, all but one. She was surprised that he hadn't felt her presence yet, he must be lost in whatever was going through his head. Better for her. _

_Patch had been lost in his thoughts and had no idea anyone was in the shower with him when one of his silk ties was secured over his eyes. He panicked for a moment then recognized the scent and 'feeling' of the person standing behind him. Hmm...Did this mean she was taking him up on his offer he smirked. The idea shot a flash of heat straight to his groin at the idea of reliving her Prom night and seeing what else she had hidden behind lock and key. _

_Not wanting to frighten her into stopping he stood still, waiting for her next move. To his surprise he felt something silky being rubbed slowly and methodically over every centimeter of skin from the curls at the back of his neck across his shoulders and down his back and lower still, giving him a shock and a slight rush. '_Must be oil.' _Patch thought to himself, enjoying the slippery feeling between his skin and hers. Next Nora took her long manicured nail and traced the rivets of water flowing over the satiny surface of his lubricated skin. The feeling was intensified by the blindfold. _

_Taking a deep breath she decided it was time to step things up, watching the water trails running down him emboldened her and now what had started as a way to shock and surprise him became something new, she __**wanted **__him she realized. She wanted to claim him the way he had claimed her that night years ago, she wanted to satisfy him as he had her. He had tasted her, it was time for her to taste him. _

_Nora put some more spice scented oil in her hands and stepped up so that her body was just brushing his, electricity was flying through the air sparking around them and lighting every nerve in their bodies on fire. She leaned in and delicately started to place kisses and nibbles to where the rivers of water were forming on him. He couldn't hold back any longer and a long groan of pleasure escaped his throat. She added her hands and began another slow, sexy massage over every inch of him, feeling and tracing each line of well-defined muscle he so carefully kept. Shivers ran through him as she continued her assault on his back side and a growl broke free from deep in his chest. "__**Fuck, Nora...damn that feels soo good..."**__ He couldn't get anymore words out, too focused on what he was feeling. She seemed intent on covering EVERY bit of him as she was working her way down the backs of his legs and up the front, touching everywhere **but** where he was wanting her the most, make that __**needing **__her to touch the most. Patch tried to turn towards her, already hard as a rock and somehow getting harder by the moment without so much as a touch there... God, he had been touched, teased, and pleasurably tortured before, but this... this was a cross between nirvana and hell, his body was as hot as the center of a gas flame. Patch reached down to grasp her head without thinking. Quietly, but __**firmly**__ she told him, "Let go Mr. Cipriano or I __**will**__ cuff you." She wouldn't dare he though with a smirk, he'd barely moved a fraction and his hands were pinned behind his back and the soft click of cuffs sounded around the glass enclosure. __**Fuck. **__How had she gotten control of him before he realized it? This was her first time initiating anything and __**she**__ was dominating __**him! **__Patch was totally at her mercy._

_Of course he had had fantasies like this, but they weren't the same as the feel of her hands, nails and mouth combined with the tantalizing aroma of the oil she was generously using filling his ultra sensitive senses. He realized that she was using oil with the mens fragrance 'Obsession', it was his signature scent and her favorite. Interesting. In the hot humid air, with his heightened senses he could smell her arousal. __**'She's enjoying this!' **__A smile tugged up on his lips. If this got her to come out of her shell and unleash that kitten with claws then he would gladly be at her mercy, but he was planning on collecting and returning the "favor" of being dominated. _

_Nora had covered his face, eyelids, nose and cheeks with kisses before dropping the most delicate of ones to the corners of his mouth. Then without notice she licked slowly up the shell of his ear before blowing on it and nibbling the lobe making him shiver. From there she sought out every 'hot spot' she could locate on his neck with the ease of a lover with a lifetime of experience. __**'How was she doing that?!' **__Patch's mind was going wild at the sensations in his body and the mental imagery in his head. No one else had every managed to locate __**his**__ hot spots! She had found every last one of them. Across his collarbone side to side over his shoulders and down his arms tracing the outline of muscle with her tongue she continued her exploration. Where she didn't taste, she kissed before circling him behind again. He let out another growl that vibrated out of his throat in an animalistic way that encouraged her to double her efforts to hear it again. He was vocal, she hadn't remembered that or realized how much of a turn on that was for her. She knew by now that often men found vocal women a turn on, but you didn't hear about men being vocal so much. The sounds she was drawing out of him had her pooling with moisture and her walls aching to be filled by him. _

_Patch felt her kissing his hands, which was a little on the sexy side, but then she made him gasp when she took each finger, one by one, into her mouth, tracing it with her tongue up and down the length as she sucked on it before swirling it around the tip of the finger in a playful and highly erotic way. Each finger was shown the same treatment . __**'Where the hell had she learned that!' **__Patch's mind demanded to know as his body continued to follow her every movement in pure pleasure. In the back of his head, not in the front-that was mush by now, incapable of thought- he flipped through all of his years of experience looking for a time he had ever been ravished and consumed like __**this**__. In all honesty he couldn't find a single time it had even came close. He had almost exclusively been the giver of pleasure, not the receiver. Tears stung the corners of his eyes and though he would never admit they were there, he was thankful for the blindfold covering them so he didn't feel he had to lie. She took in his last finger and a tremble of ecstasy rolled over him._

"_**I want to touch you, Angel." **__Patch whispered._

_Her only response was a soft, "Shhh, just enjoy it, let it sweep you away."_

_He hadn't heard her move, but now she was back in front of him, kissing up the insides of his calves and all around his knee's, licking and nibbling behind them making him groan before she moved up the inside of his thighs. He willingly spread his legs enough for her to reach him as she ran her tongue all the way up from the inside of his knee to the top of his thigh, narrowly avoiding __**'that' **__hot spot._

"_Oh...daaamn, baby." Patch moaned._

_Nora continued to kiss and nibble all the area around where he was still waiting, still begging for her attention. Her fingers traced his stomach muscles as she had done the first night together and began working their way south. He gave an audible sigh. This was easily the most sensual experience he had had to date. He didn't even want to guesstimate the amount of 'experiences' he had under his belt. None was like this anyhow. With that thought distracting him he nearly shouted when he felt slick wetness of her hot little tongue sweep up his testicles. Man was he grateful he kept himself shaved down there or he might have missed out on that. Slowly she lavished her tongue all over them, enjoying the way they moved and tightened, taking one then the other and sucking and licking it with just the right pressure. How was it possible that this shy little vixen had never been with anyone and yet she was capable of bringing a man like him to his knee's without any coaching? He knew without a doubt that the Angel kneeling before him, reeking havoc on his body and his senses had never been with anyone else, not even close._

_The longer she captivated his body the more vocal he became. Further shock ran through him when she slid one of her hands from his stomach and traced a line down his body, missing his straining cock that was leaking pre-cum almost like a steady dripping facet. 'Where was she going with that?' The answer came soon enough when her index and middle finger laid assault on his perineum. _

_Nora let his testicles slip out of her mouth and he wanted to whine at the feeling of missing her mouth, but she had taken her other hand off of his hip and used it in place of her mouth to continue lavishing it with care while the other continued to tease his prostate. Finally, finally, finally he felt what he had died for since he first realized what was happening. He let out a loud "Ohhh...holy shit, holy shit...oh GAWD...FUCK, BABY!" as she swirled the river of pre-cum of the crown of his dick with the tip of her tongue._

_ His response was beyond her wildest dreams, she was doing it! __**She**__ was bringing him out of his skin! She swirled her tongue around him like she was licking around an ice-cream cone, then she sucked the tip in hard and slid him back out gently between her teeth till they slid off the end and she swept up the drops of cum from the slit they were escaping from. A string of soft curses left his mouth as she repeated the cycle several minutes.__Now came the real test, remembering what she had read she took his head into her mouth wrapping her lips as tightly as she could and keeping her teeth covered she pulled him into her mouth like sucking a too thick shake through a straw._

"_Nora, shit that feels fucking incredible." Patch groaned._

_She slid him further into her mouth and his breathing became irregular. Nora could feel his heart beating wildly everywhere as more blood pumped rapidly south fast. God she was loving every second of this as the water continued to pour over them._

"_Mmm...fuck...your tongue...that's it baby, just like that.." He panted._

_Nora hummed around his cock which was considerably deep in her mouth. He wasn't your average guy in length or girth. He wasn't big to the point of looking unnatural or gross, in fact, his cock was as sexy as Patch himself and he never failed to surprise women with that. It was enough to rock any girls world though. 'God her tongue can do wicked things.' His breath caught in his throat as she slithered her tongue up, down and all around him in a figure eight type pattern. He started to wonder what could have gotten into her to bring all this on and how he could keep it coming when she stopped the thought dead in its tracks by taking his whole length in and deep throating him!_

"_Sweet Jesus Christ Mother Mary you don't have a gag reflex..." He part groaned part moaned and half growled. She was going to be the death of him! How had this sweet girl not been given a gag reflex!? This was heaven, no this was __**better **__than heaven! He was just getting used to that feeling when she swallowed and hummed around him, his whole body tightened up, it wouldn't be long now. Strings of things were flowing from his mouth now. "Right there baby, ya just like that...ohhh fuckkk yeaaah...ohmygod where did you learn this...oh shit shit shit shit baby, please don't stop, please don't stop." The combination of being in the dark from the blindfold, having his hands cuffed and her body working over his had him going insane with need and desire. _

_Nora had no intentions of stopping and hearing him say those things had now become her first addiction. He could say anything he wanted to her if he kept saying her name and praising her like that. She let her tongue glide up to play with the underside bundle of nerves on the crown of his throbbing cock before once again licking the meatus free of cum droplets then back down his shaft humming so the vibrations surrounded him and she had him buried in her throat again. Once more she bobbed her head then quickly stood, untied the blindfold and dropped back down capturing him hostage in her mouth once more. When the tip of him touched against the back of her throat she looked up at him through her long black lashes and when molten steal met obsidian midnight she swallowed...HARD. _

"_Nora, Nora, Nora...oohhh damn Angel, I'm going to...fuck! I can't hold it, oh gawd you are so fucking hot...you better move or it's going straight down your throat!" Patch tried to step back, but she quickly pulled him tightly to her, increasing the pressure and rocking on his perineum faster she used the tips of her nails to graze over his scrotum that was pulled tightly against his body in an almost painful way as his seed circled around and around moving through him on its race to get out. When she swallowed again while humming she felt one giant pulse then a bunch of rapid ones roll all the way through his balls and up his swollen and engorged shaft, his body went rigid and he shouted her name as wave after red hot wave of his sticky sweet nectar drenched her mouth and coated her throat, but she still didn't stop moving, she continued to suck on him and bob her head with her eyes locked on his so she could witness the look of pleasure as she felt it rack his body. His hips were involuntarily fucking her mouth in shallow, but powerful thrusts. She was thankful she didn't have a gag reflux that would have caused her to make him stop. Instead she wanted to prolong his orgasm as long as she could for him and like a bottle of the finest champagne his essence shot forth repeatedly drenching any surface not already covered. She swirled her tongue around the tip of him, up the slit and around the sides, sucking him in firmly then sliding her teeth gently across his engorged head hoping to intensify it for him. Over and over he chanted her name with a list of benedictions so she knew she was pleasing him. When his body stopped moving she pulled back, slow as she could before letting the head slip out between her still tightened lips. She blew gently on the end making him shiver and then placed a soft and reverent kiss to the tip making sure he was clean of any drops of cum._

_Patch closed his eyes and collapsed back into the shower wall and let gravity pull his body down the glass till he was slumped on the floor of the shower. Nora removed the cuffs and he didn't even move. 'I did it!' She silently cheered herself. Her first blow job ever and she had not only rocked his world but she had __**owned**__ him, he had been at __**her**__ mercy, no one else. __**Hers! She**__, Nora Grey, had brought the rumored sex god to his knees unable to move! She had a face splitting grin that could have lit the way in the pitch black. Not only had she over came her shyness and fear, but she had mastered something she had never done before well enough to make an Angel like him fall from glory at her feet. _

_Nora sat down next to him watching the amazingly still warm water cascade over his God like face. His head was back against the glass faced up as he worked to even out his breathing. 'He's so beautiful like that.' Nora thought.'He looks so sweet, so innocent, so...relaxed, like he's at peace. That's the way he should always feel.' His vulnerability had never shown so bright as in that moment. He looked ALMOST completely unguarded. It made her heart heavy to think how she somehow knew no one, including Dabria who had 'loved him so much with all of her heart and soul', had never taken the time to give back to him with no expectations for anything whatsoever in return. No, there was no way in hell she would let him pay her back for this, this was her gift to him. Other people might see him as selfish, as treating her badly, but they'd be mistaken because it wasn't any of those things. He was one of the most lost and misunderstood souls she had ever met and people would take one look at him and dismiss him as just another stuck up pretty boy or upon hearing his name dismiss him as much worse thinking he wanted or felt entitled because he had looks AND money...or he used to._

_Patch could feel the water raining down on his face but he couldn't be bothered to move so much as an eyelash. Not even if the place was burning down. He had never felt so...drained...in all of his life. Stamina was his middle name, but he'd never been so taken care of. Here Nora had no experience and while other women would be begging him for favors she once again, was giving not taking like the rest. This was yet another first experience for her that she had shared with him...him, no one else...him. She had more than stupefied him when she had made the bold move of joining him in the shower and then touching him. Not just physically which was...oh gawd...but she had gone deeper than that and reached an emotional level only his Angel could find still in him. He didn't want to think about things like that so he switched gears and was about to focus on the sound of the water when he felt her wet little body slide between his legs and curl up against him facing him so that her ankles wrapped around his waist pulling him into her and her arms locked behind his neck and she buried her face in the crook of his neck planting butterfly kisses along his skin where her lips could reach. A soft smile graced his lips...'Sweet little Nora. My sweet, sweet little Angel.' He thought to himself as he lazily started to stroke up and down her spine gently. _

_**BACK TO THE PRESENT~~**_

_Not a single one-night stand made it past the early morning if they made it that far at all. On the evenings Patch wasn't out or 'entertaining' some random girl, Nora would join him and they'd watch movies, go dancing or find something else to do together. Whatever it was it usually ended in mind-blowing, earth-shattering explosive sex. _

_After every move he made they would christian every surface in every room possible before leaving the house. His little girl had really grown up and as he had predicted her 'inner goddess', as Nora liked to call her, had roared alive like a tigress in heat. She was always there, always right underneath the surface begging impatiently for release. Nora was the only one who could compete and challenge both his sexual creativity and famous stamina. He was rumored to be impossible to survive, Nora however, could make him beg to stop when she wanted to. Not that either would let __**that**__ secret out._

_They made it a point to be together at least one whole night out of the week, just the two of them while they were living apart. Not that she wasn't more of a permanent fixture at his place almost daily anyways. Patch knew that Nora still needed his comfort and familiarness, but he had also long ago learned that when it came to Nora, she was as tough as nails fighting for whatever she felt was worth it to her regardless of what others thoughts, feelings, or opinions were. She was selfless to the point of endangering herself for others, she was stubborn as a person could get, she was passionate, loving, and unpredictable at times. The vixen in her often shocked him and she had a wild streak only he was allowed to see. Nora had countless virtues, in and out of the bedroom no one would ever rival her in his eyes. No matter how many women he was with, when he was with Nora, or better yet in his favorite place to be—inside Nora, it was like coming home every time. With her or in her he felt complete in a way he never did with others, he was addicted to that feeling and the privilege of being her one and only. He chose to subconsciously and conscientiously ignore what that all might mean in terms of their real feelings for each other. What he would admit was that they fit together perfectly, every single piece of them working in sync and tandem, no matter what they were doing from cooking to sex._

_ Nora was still the only girl he would sleep next to or cuddle up to. She had him firmly wrapped around her finger as securely as ever unaware, but none of that was quite enough to change the hardness that Dabria's betrayal had brought about in him. He was still as guarded as ever when it came to matters of romance and not even his Angel could glue that last piece of his heart into place so he could learn to love like that again._

_Nora had perfected her mask as she stood beside Patch, when she could feel the mask begin to slip and her emotions start to show more than genuine friendship she would quickly look away and covertly avoid his eyes and face until it passed._

_ No matter what lifestyle choices he made on his night life she would focus on what they had which may not be all she wanted, but it was better than any of those women would ever get. The difference in Nora's mind compared to other woman's situations was that Patch was straight up front open and honest hiding nothing about what he did, who he was, what he could and couldn't give. He didn't fake or pretend to be something he wasn't, or feel something he didn't or give something he wouldn't. What you got was exactly what he said you would get. Other men lied, cheated and toyed with girls, not Patch, they knew within minutes that he wasn't looking for anything more than a one time good time. If the lady wasn't okay with that he didn't lead her on, he moved on. It may seem heartless to some, but it was honest._

_In the moments they were reaching new heights together in the bedroom and joined as one Nora felt the most connected to him, she could 'see' and 'feel' the man who was still in there somewhere, the man he had once been and as long as she had that she had hope, even if it was just a glimmer... If that part of him hadn't died, neither would her hope or her dream. _


	12. Chapter 12 - LIFE IS ABOUT CHOICES

_**CHAPTER 12**_

_**LIFE IS ABOUT CHOICES**_

Life is all about choices. You make them, regret them, try to change them, but eventually you learn how to live with them. A choice can change your life forever or someone else's, most people don't think about the consequences they can bring, or the hurt they may cause. But at the end of the day, you make the choice that seems most right to you, the one that will affect your life, that one choice that will change your life forever. The choice you don't regret because it was the right one for _you_.

Nora Grey was all too aware what the consequences of her choice were, how much pain she had caused her sister and friends when she made it all those years ago. Never had a choice had this much affect on her, never had the price been so high. It had cost her the family she had grown up with, even if they weren't much of a 'family'. It cost her her sister in many ways thanks to their parents.

Nora was working as a waitress about to get off when two customers walk in and she groaned, she was ready to go home, but she needed the money to pay rent and follow her dreams to go to college for journalism so she put on her fake smile and apron and approached the table. To her surprise and delight two familiar faces greeted her, two who remembered little Nora and her smile grew and became genuine as Angelo and Gianni sat grinning back at the grown woman who was like their little lost sister. After a huge hug from both of them they quickly set to catching up, they hadn't seen each other in years having lost track after graduation and Patch and Nora's disappearance. Of course they'd heard all the 'juicy gossip' and the tabloid headlines, but they were too good of friends to believe anything that came out of the elder Cipriano, Grey's or Dabria's mouth. Nora filled them in on how her and Patch were doing. How she was saving with Patch's help to go to college even though it felt like they were both only earning pennies not dollars per hour. She filled them in on how Patch had sent her to live with Bella and Shadow while he moved from one dump to a better dump, improving with each move. Angelo and Gianni seemed to exchange some silent words with their eyes and then handed two business cards to Nora with their personal cell phone numbers on the back, they told her to keep one for herself and please give Patch the other and let him know to please call them as soon as possible, they had a proposition for him at Angelo's company and with Patch's extensive schooling he had completed pre-Dabria he would be perfect, not to mention they were his closest friends. They wanted to help him in any way they could, and right now Angelo needed a lead at his advertising company. Nora promised to have Patch call and gave them a hug before telling them good-night.

When Nora finally got home that night she laid back on her bed with a glass of wine and closing her eyes she willed herself to relax. Her mind drifted back to the first night she had stayed with Patch when he finally deemed his place suitable. She smirked softly at the memory, he had always been a little on the over-protective side. She had just gotten out of the shower and had her iPod playing and she was dancing around his raised loft bedroom in her black lace bra and panties with the ruby-red satin ribbon in the center of the each piece. She was shimmying her way over to the dresser that was home to her sleeping clothes (one of Patch's t-shirts from high school she had 'forgotten' to give back and a pair of black Lycra boy shorts). She had just sat them on the dresser to get them on when she was suddenly push back a step, her body leaning backwards on the black lacquer chest of drawers, both wrists were pinned on either side of her body and she was being kissed hungrily first her neck and then her lips. Her mouth opened readily to accept his tongue and with growing passion their bodies pressed tighter to each other as their tongues tangled and played. Even blind-folded she would have known those lips, that scent, his body anytime...Patch.

He didn't show any signs of slowing down, not that she minded in the least bit, she _wanted_ him to continue, no, she _needed _him to continue. She hadn't been with him since she had surprised him in the shower. She had matched his intensity with a fire of her own, molding her lips to his until she was breathless and gasping for air. Patch didn't stop, he kept his lips to her skin skimming the surface until he reached her neck. His cool breath was leaving goosebumps all over her body. The edge of the dresser was digging uncomfortably into Nora's back so she wriggled and stood on the balls of her feet to lift herself up to balance on top of the chest, but it was too tall for her to reach. Patch released his grip on her wrists, freeing her hands that immediately sought refuge around his neck with fingers combing their way through his wavy locks as he grasped her hips and lifted her on top of the dresser, just as quickly as he placed her there he pulled her roughly back to him. Her legs wrapped around his hips bringing their bodies even closer together than before.

When his tongue flicked and nibbled her earlobe a wave of shivers raced down her body. Her legs began to weaken from holding them up, but his strong embrace kept her pinned firmly to him as he lavished her with soft kisses at each of her sensitive spots. Some of which she had forgotten existed. He could read Nora like a book, he always had, and while Patch knew his way blind around any woman's body, but he was perfectly exquisite with Nora's. Anything any other man might do to her she was adamant Patch could do it better.

He pulled back and his bottomless black eyes blazed into her gray, melting any cold steel they might have held. For what seemed like ages they silently submitted their permission, making an unspoken agreement that we were aware of each others walls, hers guarding the depth and kind of love she held in her heart for him and his protecting his heart from that exact kind of love from _anyone_ and therefore any pain that love might cause. Then his mouth was once again moving up and down her body. Taking a few moments to breathe their chests burning for much needed air, his hands wasted no time in moving to undress her, pulling down the lace straps of her bra then unclasping it with one-handed ease. After sliding her panties off and throwing them to the floor they took time relearning each other topography, kissing and sucking and exploring the bare skin of each others upper body. She pulled back and admired the man in front of her, he had that hard edge sexy look that you didn't bring home to mom without expecting her to change the locks on your house. Dad's kept shot guns next to their doors to keep men like Patch away from their daughters. To them he was a danger, maybe he was, but he was _her_ danger and _her_ addiction.

Patch put his hands on Nora's ass and adjusted her until her hips were poised over his hardness. By instinct her hands gripped the muscles of his developed biceps as her legs rested around his hips. She felt Patch shiver slightly as their bodies touched base and she anxiously waited for him to connect them. It had been so long, too long. Nora heard the condom wrapper rip and watched him slip it on... he knew she was on the pill, but somethings never change, he couldn't risk it, being without one was like leaving his heart unguarded, in Patch's mind he would be safer stepping in front of an out of control bus than being without a condom to protect her, to protect him.

Before joining them he stopped, his cock pressed to her folds and looked deep into her eyes:

"Hi."

"Hi." Nora smiled at him shyly. She knew what he meant even if he couldn't say it, because neither could she.

Painstakingly slow Patch began to lower her hips to embrace him and she relaxed and melted into his touch as he burrowed his manhood into her.

Nora's breath caught in her throat before a long sigh escaped as his hardness filled her; inch by glorious inch he pursued the penetration they both craved. She was at his mercy, there was nothing she wanted more in that moment then to feel him seated fully and deeply inside of her.

After giving Nora time to adjust to his generous size his hands began to move her body in a slow, sensual rocking as his hips followed the same movement like a well choreographed dance. She panted in pleasure, moaning with submission into his ear. Listening intently to his answering groans. The feel of his smooth, muscular body against her toned one increased the storm brewing between them.

Patch increasingly rocked back and forth at a harder and faster pace. She met his every thrust with her own eager anticipation. Rolling her hips and swiveling them against him, she felt the sensations of pleasure wash over her. She allowed him to adjust and manipulate her body at his will. He brought her to the peak of sexual bliss and her head fell back, Nora's eyes squeezed tightly shut and soft primal sounds announced the arrival of her pleasure as she locked on to him with all the strength she could summon. His fingers moved up her back, bringing her lips to his before sliding his tongue along hers as her body writhed against his. He continued to thrust long, deep powerful thrusts, letting her ride out her orgasm as he chased his. She felt him shiver and throb in his own pleasure as her swollen core milked him of everything he had to offer. He continued to thrust until her finished my descent before he carrying her and laying her down on his huge comfy bed in the center of his room.

After laying her gently on her back he collapsed next to her staring at her with tender eyes the color of a moonless night, his index finger softly touched the tip of her chin and trailed down between the crevasse of her breast as she attempted to catch her breath. Gazing into his eyes Nora replayed what had just happened and realized that no matter how many girls he had it was still her that owned him and her he owned. _She_ was the one he cuddled with, that he held at night, _she_ was the one falling asleep safe in his arms and waking to his delicious smile in the morning. _Her_.

With this kind of sex came a level of intimacy, intimacy that was clear in his eyes and their connection could not be deeper, minus the walls that were necessary to both right now. Patch used sex as a means of coping and being close without truly getting close and though Nora felt that barrier with him she also realized how far he let his walls crumble with only her, that in those few moments their eyes and bodies were connected he exposed his heart and soul. It wasn't just her, but it was _only for_ her, and for now that was enough. For now...

I curled into him, "That was amazing..."

"That was nothing Angel, I have much greater things planned for you and me." He smirked as he started to trace an erotic pattern down the center of my body, making circles and swirls on the way to my womanhood..._this man is going to be the death of me, and what a death it will be, I purred..._

_PATCH'S POV THAT NIGHT:_

I loved the way I could make Nora squirm with a single touch. I couldn't believe the lack of self-control I had when it came to her. I can't stay away from her, I keep finding myself drawn to her presence, she has a strange pull on me. This evening was no different, when I saw her dancing as she was getting ready for bed in my bedroom. I wanted to feel her skin brush against mine, I wanted to taste her, to _own_ her if even for a moment, if only to keep her safe, to keep her here with _me._ I tell myself it's my primal instincts...

We had just been together, but as my fingers traced her inner thigh, Nora closed her eyes in complete submission again to the pleasure she was experiencing. Gently I slid off the bed and positioned myself next to it, facing Nora's lower half. I paused to admire her beauty and inhaled the scent that engulfed the room, evidence of our coupling. My hand continued to slowly brush her inner thigh back and forth, the faint little sighs she was giving was making me achingly hard again. I knew she was enjoying this as much as I was.

My hands slowly worked their way to her womanhood, as I caressed and gently kissed her inner thigh. With her eyes still closed and a peaceful look on her face I knew she was relaxed and ready for her what I wanted to do next. I hadn't gone down on Nora since her prom night. I skimmed my tongue along her skin towards her center, but skipped over it to touch her other thigh, circling but avoiding the area I knew she'd want me most. Nora's breathing deepened with anticipation, it sent a surge of pride through me to have her willing to be vulnerable with me.

Slowly I began to lap, long, luxurious strokes with my tongue up the full length of her. Licking from the bottom of her sensitive spots to the top and she arched with a small gasp into me. Her legs began to close, trying to lock me in the position her body was craving as I flicked her pleasure spot with the tip of my tongue. Soon she was thrusting herself into my mouth so I could drink her down as she gave in and lost herself in the sensations.

I felt every quickening of her heart beat as it pulsed through her, there was no other woman who could ever give me the same satisfaction and fulfillment that Nora did. This beautiful young woman deserved more. I wanted to give her the world, my heart and my soul, but all I would ever be able to truly give her was my body and the love and connection we've always shared. It was love, yes, but not what she deserved, not what she deserved at all. She should have everything, the husband, the kids, the dog and white picket fence, but my heart and soul were long gone, destroyed permanently courtesy of one Dabria. We'd only been intimate once since her prom night, that was the time she had surprised me in my shower at the first somewhat descent place I lived in. I hadn't expected it and I don't expect it now. I want to give her tonight, I hope she'll want to repeat it, this is a first for me. Nora's the only person I've been with more than once, besides my ex-finance. Everyone else is either asked to leave when it is over, or if I'm at their place I will leave immediately, I never stay. If by some miracle I fall asleep before they're gone then it's the first thing done when I open my eyes. I don't do the post-coital, I don't do snuggling on a couch, cuddling in bed or waking up together the next morning. What Nora and I have is vastly different from those who have or will share my bed. She's the only one I can go to sleep snuggled up around and wake entangled with and have a smile on my face.

I feel Nora moving even more and I slip a finger into her, moving it slowly and rhythmically in and out, making sure to rub against her front wall and curl my finger to stroke the spongy tissue of her G-spot. I watch her with the curiosity of a child, her head lulls from side to side before a series of moans wring from her and shivers wrack her body with bliss. Her inner muscles start to squeeze and convulse and I continue to pet her until her body relaxes and she is laying still beneath me, panting.

The heat and her scent radiate between us. I need to taste her, to know that I've had her, to keep a part of her in me, a part no one else has had. There is no sweeter nectar than a beautiful young woman who has just reached their sexual peak, Nora is the sweetest and most addictive thing I have ever tasted. There will never be another lady who tastes as good as she does and there never was before her, not even Dabria.

"Patch?" Nora called out as she entered his loft the next day. It was in the upper class side of the city, in a safe neighborhood. The apartment itself was spacious and decorated in dark furnishings. It was showcase worthy insight and sleep worthy in comfort, the best of both worlds in Nora's opinion. Her favorite piece of furniture in the living room was the couch and loveseat. Not only did she have countless fond memories with Patch on them, like movies and reading together, but the couches were made out some sort of material she had never heard of and when you sat on them it felt like you were being hugged by a cloud. She didn't even want to know how much it cost. Patch could afford nice things like this these days thanks to Angelo and Gianni. He worked hard and his custom made to order furniture was one of the few ways he spoiled himself. The loft had one bedroom and it was big, _really_ big, and the in suite bathroom was easily the size of an average bedroom and housed one of his favorite amenities...a three way glass shower. The bed in his room was custom-built and sat up on a platform built for specifically for it in the center of the room. You stepped up into the room and then up again to the bed. The bed itself was the size of two queen beds put together. Nora carefully avoided why he would want a bed that big. What she didn't know was that it wasn't really because of the reason she feared it was, it had more to do with Patch's need to keep women at a distance, even when intimate. He needed the comfort of knowing there was 'space' between him and whoever was sharing it with him at the time. Nora loved his sheets, black or red silk of the finest quality and a rich black silk comforter that felt like a pillow against your skin, soft and fluffy in perfect contrast of the cool temperature of the silk. There wasn't a lot of furniture, but it had artistic appeal and homey style comfort and the colors, a dark chromatic blend, had Patch's signature style all over it.

Nora knew his place by heart, it was her home away from home and she spent more time here than her place. Half of his wardrobe closet and drawers held her clothing. The house and furniture surfaces were decorated with a large assortment of pictures of them together from childhood to the present. They hung on every wall and sat on the dresser and tables throughout the loft. Nora was still the only constant thing in his life, aside from his job. It had been five years since they moved into the city together.

Nora had just sat down her purse and was walking towards the bedroom when a blonde opened the french doors leading out into the living room. She had that just thoroughly fucked glow and she stopped to write her phone number on a piece of paper before handing it to Nora telling her to have Patch give her a call. Yeah, Nora thought as she laughed quietly to herself, did this blonde actually think that Patch Cipriano would be calling her? No, Patch was very much a fuck n chuck man these days and Nora knew him well enough to know he would have tried to make that very clear to the young blonde _before_ being physical with her so whatever false hope she had for him calling was of her own imagination. Nora just hoped she didn't sit around by the phone waiting for it to ring for too long...

Today Nora was there to take a shower because the water in her building was off for maintenance work and she needed to clean up before her shift at the bar she worked at now. She had also brought pastries-Patch's favorites from his favorite bakery (the man could be very picky for someone who rarely eats).

"Patch." She called him again with no response so she opened the bedroom doors to find him sound asleep with a brunette who was sitting on the edge of his bed shooting daggers with her eyes at Nora who almost laughed out loud at her.

"Who the hell are you? His wife?" The woman demanded.

Nora casually eyed the brunette for a moment having this role down pat. "As a matter of fact I am." She grabbed the ladies clothes and threw them at her then smiled sweetly. "Now, if you don't mind I'd appreciate you getting decent and getting the hell out of my husband's bed!"

The brunette gave a big huff and muttered. "I should have known it was too good to be true, but no I didn't take his word for it thought I could change his mind or he was joking..." She was still mumbling when she slammed the front door on the loft behind her.

Nora poked and prodded Patch telling him it was time to get up and get dressed. He groaned and buried his head under his pillow claiming to have a headache. That didn't surprise her since she could smell the bourbon from where she was so she left and brought him back a large ice-cold glass of orange juice and some Motrin. She had just started to turn around to go shower when his arm reached out and snagged her, pulling her onto the bed against his naked body.

"You know, one of these days we should get wedding bands to see if they even notice or care when I pick them up." Patch teased and Nora laughed.

As much as she hurt inside, she knew this new Patch would never marry or have the family and home he had spent his youth telling her he wanted when he was grown. No, Dabria had robbed him of all those dreams. Even so, here he was paying for her to go to college while trying to save to open his own dream business. She had kept her job, but not for lack of Patch trying to talk her out of it, he wanted to provide everything for her, especially while she was in school, but Nora was stubborn and independent and when it came down to it they'd compromised. She continued to work, but cut back and he continued to pay most, but not all of her bills. When it came to Nora he had a big heart, and a piece of that belonged to their grandma Clista too, but beyond that and his friendship with Angelo and Gianni, and a very casual and distant relationship family bond with Rixon and Vee, he really didn't care much for anyone else. He would help Rixon or Vee out if they ever needed, no questions asked, it just wasn't the same as his love for Nora, it never had been and never would be.

Nora never wanted to take advantage of that and worked hard to be independent and not lean financially on Patch too much, but he had taken over where her parents had left off. Just like he'd always done, they made the mess and Patch cleaned it up. When they had left her parents refused her her trust account, froze all of her money and assets, including her college tuition. Patch was perfectly happy paying for her to get her degree in journalism, he loved how excited it made her and how well she was doing. He was fascinated by her stories of what she was working on and addicted to the way her face would light up while she shared with him or read him the things she had published in the school paper. Her eyes would dance and sparkle and it was in those moments he knew in his heart of hearts he had the best friend he could ever have asked for and anything he could ever do for her would never be enough.

Nora was so full of life and enthusiasm it radiated from her and was contagious. The two of them spent countless hours together sharing their experiences and lives. Patch knew he could tell her what he was thinking and not risk judgment, she'd known him before and she knew him now and her love for him was unconditional. Still, it never crossed his mind to offer her more than what they had, he'd tried the hearts, flowers, love and marriage thing only to have his heart ripped out, no way in hell was he ever risking that again. No, he was now known as the 'most desirable bachelor and famed womanizer' in all the tabloids, papers and magazines... Yes, he was still making his parents proud...they were so proud they continued to call and leave message after message on his voice-mail ranting about the effects HIS reputation might have on them.

The nights he didn't have a girl over Nora was there and they spent their time wearing each other out in a _very _physical relationship until they collapsed in an exhausted heap together. They had a silent agreement about their 'no strings attached' commitment. When Patch was with Nora making her lose her mind in bed, using his knowledge of every inch of her body to take her to heights other men couldn't, he could pretend that was all there was between them, that he still had his heart and soul under lock and key even if that wasn't exactly true, what he had with Nora was every bit the kind of love and relationship that came with hearts and flowers, his womanizing ways let him and others believe that wasn't true, as for Nora, that intimacy allowed her to feel the closeness and love that she so desperately wanted and needed from Patch, in those moments she could pretend it was just the two of them, really just the two of them, and that she had her happy ever after. Sex wasn't just sex with them like it was with Patch and other women. When him and Nora were together they were entirely focused on reading each others bodies and souls through constant touch and penetrating eye contact. The jolts of electricity, the raging inferno feeling never went away, never faded for either of them, in fact, it was intensifying. That feeling that Patch got of coming 'home' when he entered Nora was never duplicated, and even a condom didn't put space between him and that very real emotion.

Many things in their relationship had stayed unwavering, Nora still had night terrors and when they happened it was Patch who got the call and came. Even with Bella and Shadow in the same house, Patch would drop whoever or what ever he was doing and rush to her side to hold and comfort her. He was still the only one that could, he never questioned or complained about it, for them it was as natural as breathing, it was how things were, how they had been and how they always would be. Nora was as much a part of Patch's loft apartment as his furniture, and she spent almost as much time there as it did.

Nora needed to shower so she scooted out from under his arm and went to take one, she left the door open, it wasn't anything he hadn't seen many times before.

She grabbed her Victoria Secret Amber Romance shampoo from the shelf and walked into the glass shower. The beads of water fell against her skin, warming her cold body, running from her long silky brownish red hair to the swells of her ample breasts. She cupped each globe in her hands, feeling the weight before kneading them gently, flicking her hardening nipples with her thumbs. The sensation made little tingles spiderweb across her skin and her body begged for more. A quiet moan escaped her when she let go of her breast and let her hand slide over her taut stomach to the warm place between her thighs. She tilted her head back once she found that sensitive bundle of nerves and started rubbing circles on it, the wetness between her legs preparing her for more. She traced her entrance with her finger and dipped slowly inside, gently pushing her finger further into her heated core. It only took a few seconds before her walls welcomed the intrusion and adjusted around it, making her moan in pleasure. She started pumping her finger back and forth, then another finger.

"Let me."

Nora jumped as a hard body pushed against her back, his voice was like melted sex and made shivers run down her spine, his hand slid over her breasts down to the place between her legs, pushing her hand out-of-the-way to replace it with his own.

"I thought you had a headache." She said between gasps.

"That's only an excuse for women to not have sex." Patch chuckled.

Nora's head fell back against his strong shoulder once he plunged two fingers into her; her breathing became rapid, her heart drumming in her chest, her body tingling in anticipation. She placed her arm on the back of his neck, pulling on his raven hair while his teeth scraped the skin on her shoulder, his fingers quickening inside of her. Her ash eyes rolled back in her head when he started rubbing her clit, sucking on the pulse point in her neck.

"Fuck, you're wet." Patch growled low.

"We're in the shower."

"Yeah..." He breathed huskily in her ear. "That's exactly what I meant."

"Keep going." She arched against his body, her arm tightening around his neck, her hand cupping his to help him set the pace. "Oh, God."

The world around her exploded while she started pulsing around Patch's fingers, the waves of pleasure making her arch against the hard body behind her, her hand gripping his for support, the other one gripping his thigh to stay upright.

"You're beautiful."

"You probably say that to all the girls."

"Only to the beautiful ones." He chuckled against the skin on her neck, wrapping his arms around her waist. "And you are really beautiful, Angel."

"And you are a pain in the ass." She turned her head over her shoulder and pecked his lips. "But you can be really sweet when you want to."

"I can be a pain in the ass," He pushed his hard member against her ass, smirking devilishly. "If you want me to."

"We already tried that once, remember?" Nora turned around in his embrace, pushing her breasts against his chest. "It was a shitty experience, literally."

"But you've loosened up over the years in that area not in the other, how do you do that? Everyone loosens up, especially going at it like rabbits like we do." He let his hand slide from her shoulders to her ass. "It's time to thank me for that. Well, for the one body part loosening at least."

"You have such a way with words, it still amazes me every day." Nora rolled her eyes.

"It's all part of the job." He winked and gave her a devilish grin.

"Can you drop me off at school?" She caressed his back, making small circles. "Because otherwise I have to go now."

"I wouldn't drop you off," He looked between their bodies, poking her stomach with his erection. "But this one will make me."

"He was always much nicer to me than you." Nora wrapped her hand around him and gently rubbed circles around his tip. "Good morning to you too, how are you doing?"

"Stop talking to my penis."

"He's the only one I can have an actual conversation with because he's the one with the brain."

"Grab a condom for him, will you?"

"You're the only person I know who keeps condoms in his shower." Nora grabbed a condom from the corner and handed it to him. "Not that I've been in that many showers."

"It's because I usually don't shower alone."

"You can say that again." She rolled her eyes at him, looking away. "God knows how many woman have stood on the exact same place as I'm standing now."

"If it's any comfort," Patch ripped the package open with his teeth, spitting the wrapper on the ground. "You're the only one that's stood here more than once."

Nora pushed herself up on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips finding their way to his. She knew she was the only constant woman in his life, because she was the only one that knew him his whole life. He didn't let people in, he stopped letting people in five years ago when someone had hurt him so much that his trust in people faded away.

Patch still saw her as a goddess, no matter how many woman he was with, none compared to her beauty or personality, it was always like she was where he belonged. He still got stars behind his eyes and his body coiled tightly, building for that all-consuming release he found he only had with Nora that went on and on like heaven. He told himself it was because they knew each other so well after 20 years, a lot of intimacy in the last five years, there were no secrets between them emotionally or physically, besides the one, and they had learned how to work each others bodies better than their own. That's what he told himself at least, he refused to think or consider it being anything more than that between them. He was completely oblivious and that door was FIRMLY closed and Nora knew that. How was he to know that ever since she was 16 she had been deeply and madly and blindingly in love with him. How was he to know how much learning to dancing salsa had meant to her, had changed her (because truth be told he had reactions to her both emotionally and physically during all of it too, but he thought it was mostly how they fed each other with sexually charged chemistry and innuendos, that was the only type of love or attention he really knew from the ladies, love for his body and what he could do to them with it) and how far She wasn't willing to go with him after that, and the hurt she had endured from the second he had met Dabria right after winning still. She was a masochist when it came to Patch, she just kept coming back and kept on going no matter the pain. Of course people would say that about them, that they were deeply in love, often mistaking them for newlyweds or a young couple deeply in love, but they just laughed and said that's what happens when you've been best friends for as long as we've been. People just assume it must be true love, it was a form of love, but not the marriage and kids love, not in Patch's eyes. He never saw the burning tears or dullness that for a moment would take precedence in Nora's eyes when she heard that. Instead, she turned away quickly so no one, including him, would notice the sting in those words had, avoiding face and eye contact with him in the subtle way she had honed through the years of wearing the practiced mask that even he would have been proud of, sort of, cause he would never have wanted her to hurt that way or have to wear a mask at all where it concerned him.

Patch knew exactly what he wanted and didn't and had been very blunt with Nora even though she already knew and when she agreed he thought, and believed, she felt the exact same thing, wanting the exact same thing. Aside from everyone reminding him that he was robbing her of a husband and kids. He would remind her she could go after those things and have them, even reminded her of Rixon being more than willing to give her all of what he wouldn't, he told Nora not to settle, that she deserved those things, but he didn't want to lose her, not to anyone. That fortress was up so high around Patch's heart. The thought of losing her the way he had her now made him violently ill, even if it was him bringing it up. If questioned about that he would've retorted what would you expect when you're a confirmed bachelor with zero plans of settling down, yet you had the perfect relationship anyone (he thought) could have? Why fix what isn't broken. It was best of both worlds for him, unlimited incomparable sex with his best friend who was so woven in him they were really one person and he didn't have to worry about pressure for more romantically, no need to worry about marriage and commitment or monogamy. It was perfect. For him at least.

When announcement of his engagement came when Nora was eighteen, his parents couldn't have been more proud of him, her parents were helping them plan the wedding, her sister was making a fuss about the bridesmaids and her 'future' marriage to Rixon, and all she could do was watch Patch love another woman wishing it was her instead walking down the isle to him. No, she had to just smile along, pretending to be as happy as she could be her best friend had finally found the love his life whom made him want to settle down after all those women, who made him think of the future, the kids and dog and white picket fences. He never thought twice that when his dreams went out the window...that hers went with them too.

"Wrap your legs around me."

"Pick me up first." She placed her hands on his shoulders, arching her eyebrow. "Or do you want me to really jump you?"

Patch rolled his ebony eyes at her and picked her up from the ground so she could wrap her legs around him. She squealed as her back pressed against the cold black tiles, her skin covered with goose bumps. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, sucking and nibbling on the skin there while she tangled her fingers into his dark hair.

"Why do I always have to be the one against the cold tiles?" Nora gasped.

"Because you're always hot and bothered."

"I thought you liked hot."

His eyes shimmered as he looked back up at her, an amused smile playing on his lips. Nora reached between them and took his aching erection in her hand, placing it against her entrance. A moan escaped her once he started pushing inside of her, letting her walls adjust around him.


	13. Chapter 13 - HI

**DISCLAIMER: ALL CHARACTERS ARE THE PROPERTY OF BECCA FITZPATRICK... HUSH HUSH**

_**RIXON IS VERY OOC... I REALIZE THIS AND WHILE I LIKE TO KEEP THEM AT LEAST SOMEWHAT IN CHARACTER I KNOW THAT HE ISN'T. IN THE SAGA NORA COMES BETWEEN PATCH AND RIXON IN A DIFFERENT WAY THEN IN THIS STORY, BUT THE BASE OF IT IS THE SAME. I THINK THIS RIXON STARTED OUT NOT BEING SO NICE, BUT TIME HAS CHANGED HIM AND HE HAS SOME REGRETS...**_

_**2 CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY :) FEELING ACCOMPLISHED**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 13<strong>_

"_**HI"**_

"Hi."

"Hi."

"You okay?"

"I'm with you," Nora tightened her legs around his waist, stroking his raven black hair. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

Patch nodded slowly and took her lips back between his, moving his hips forward to thrust inside of her. She held his shoulders with one arm, the other weaved in his wavy locks. He started moaning into her mouth, purring under her touch. She pulled her lips away from his once she needed to breath, her hands cupping his face again, pulling it against hers so she could lock her soft gray eyes with his darkening black ones.

His eyes like the endless night sky bored into hers. It was in these moments that Nora unlocked her own feelings, let herself feel everything she felt for him. Loving him was dangerous; it was putting your heart on the line and preparing for it to get crushed over and over again. Patch would never bind himself to anyone and there would never be just one girl anymore, but she loved him long before he became this man. She loved him the moment he got his driver's license, the minute he lost his virginity, the second she saw him cry for the first time. It had been the first and the last time, he had barged into her room, tears rolling over his cheeks, his whole body shaking. And she took him in her arms without asking any questions, she held him and hasn't let him go of him since then.

"Patch."

"Me too." His grip on her legs tightened, his thrusts becoming more violent. "Nora."

She held him firmer in her arms as she reached her climax, holding onto his body while her walls pulsed around him, pulling him with her into her orgasm keeping hers going as she coaxed his out of him. Patch growled and buried his head into her neck while she placed a kiss on his temple and caressed his back as he came and came again having her tight cunt milking him till he was spent.

"I'm going to have dinner with my parents tonight." Nora whispered in his ear, holding him against her. "Vee came home from New York so..."

"Sure." Patch lowered her to the ground, holding her in place. "Do you need someone to drive you there?"

"No." She shook her head, biting her lip. "We're going to some expensive restaurant; they're sending their driver to pick me up."

"Of course they are."

"Hey." She turned his face back to hers when he looked away. "I'm only going because Vee's going to be there and I haven't seen her in months."

"I know." He stroked her cheek affectionately. "I get it; they won't let your sister near you so you have to go."

"I just want to see her again and talk about going to the university in New York."

"I get it, Angel." He held her face in his hands, placing a kiss on top of her head. "Don't worry about me. Go and try to have fun."

She smiled at him, pushing her body against his under the beads of water. She reached up and pushed her lips against his one last time, tasting the inside of his mouth, moaning harder with every lip-lock. He growled when a loud knock on the door rumbled through the loft.

"That's Rixon." He pulled away from her, rolling his eyes. "Even in his knock he manages to sound broody these days."

Nora shook her head as he pecked her lips one last time and got out of the shower, drying himself quickly before grabbing his pants and pulling them on. She rolled her eyes at the lack of underwear and turned to the bottle of shampoo in the corner of the shower.

"We're leaving in twenty minutes."

"Okay." She put some shampoo on her hand. "I'm just going to wash my hair."

He walked out the bedroom and grabbed his phone from the night table, quickly browsing through his new messages while walking to the front door. He pulled it open and was met with the green eyes of his brother. Rixon didn't bother to wait for an invite to come in and walked past him to the kitchen.

"Good morning, brother." Patch threw his phone on the table. "Why so rushed?"

"Can I drive with you to work?" He threw his arms up in the air, defeated. "My car broke down."

"When are you going to buy a new car, Rix?" Patch rolled his eyes in annoyance. "The thing is in the shop more than on the road."

"I don't have the money to buy a new car." Rixon sent him an evil glare. "Not everyone makes as much money as you do."

"No, but you still have a sugar daddy." Patch pushed his finger into his brother's chest. "So use his money before he disowns you like he did with me."

"Who's in the shower?" Rixon looked away from him, changing the subject. "One of your one-night stands?"

"No." He smirked devilishly, walking into the kitchen. "It's Nora."

Rixon's green eyes went wide, scanning over Patch's damp hair, the few drops that still ran down his abdomen. He quickly looked away as the realization hit him, he had known all along about his brother and Nora, but that didn't mean he wanted it to get rubbed into his face.

"Maybe if you would man up and ask her on a date since you are both adults now," Patch poured himself a cup of coffee. "She would be in your shower and you would finally know what it's like to be inside of her and have her naked skin against yours while she screams your name."

"Stop it, Patch."

"That's what you want, isn't it?" He cocked his head to the side, watching his brother shuffle uncomfortably. "You want to tell her you love her and hold her at night, have a couple of kids with her."

"That's more than you'll ever give her."

"Very true." He pointed his mug at Rixon, chuckling. "So while you grow some balls, I'll just keep on fucking her."

"Are you arguing again?" Nora walked into the kitchen, her damp hair pulled up into a ponytail. "Hi, Rixon."

"Hi, Nora." He stammered, biting his lip. "You look beautiful today, like any day."

She smiled at him and quickly walked into the kitchen, keeping her eyes on the floor. She could appreciate Rixon's innocent nature, his naïvety and charm. But he wanted her heart, wanted her to love him and make him her husband. She had always known that he wanted more from her, the whole time they were growing up and during puberty he had almost totally pushed her away almost lost her as a friend by his possessive nature with her especially concerning Patch it was heated and their parents didn't help matters, now he wanted to just give her more than his brother would ever give her, but just because her body was technically single didn't mean that her heart was, it had an owner, an owner that would never claim it as his but that didn't mean that it was for the taking no matter how sweet or charming Rixon had become.

"Coffee." A smile came across her lips while she took Patch's mug out of his hands and sipped on it. "Ew, it's black."

"Of course it's black." Patch rolled his eyes, grabbing the mug back. "Have you never heard the expression; once you go black, there's no way back?"

"I don't think they meant coffee." She pecked his lips, ruffling his damp hair. "But you're cute for trying."

"I am not cute." He glared at her, pointing his finger at her smile. "I'm everything but cute."

"Come here." Nora grabbed his chin and rubbed her thumb over Patch's lips. "You got lipstick on you."

"Since when do you wear lipstick?"

"Since today is the day I have that professor that doesn't give grades on your performance but on the way you look instead."

"Oh." His onyx eyes went wide in amusement. "Maybe you should give the naughty professor a real performance instead of writing all those essays. You know the ones, like you give me." The thought flickered through his mind for a moment of hunting this professor down if he so much as glanced inappropriately at his girl.

"I'm not you." She narrowed her eyes at him, pouring milk in his coffee. "I don't sell my body for good grades, I actually like using my brain."

"Well, if he swings both ways I'll do him." He pouted his lips together, frowning down his nose. "Anything to get you through school." Patch teased her.

"I'll hold you to that." Nora held her pinky finger up, grabbing his coffee. "Pinky promise me."

"Guys." Rixon leaned on the other side of the granite counter. "Are you two going to the fundraiser?"

"We're still undecided." Nora sipped on the coffee. "It depends, if Patch really has to be there for his job, we'll go."

"And I really hope not."

"And he really hopes not and he usually gets his way," She exchanged a look with a smug looking Patch. "So don't count on us."

"But our parents want us to be there, all members of the founding families should be there."

"They don't count me as their family anymore, Rixon." Patch walked out of the kitchen into the bedroom. "So why would I go there to make them look good?"

"We owe it to them, Rixon."

"I don't owe them a goddamn thing."

"Excuse me, Miss." Nora leaned over the small desk, pulling the attention of the young girl behind it. "Has Harrison Grey and his family already arrived?"

"Yes." The girl stood up and took a menu. "They told me that they were expecting company, please follow me."

She nodded quietly and walked behind the petite girl, moving between the tables of laughing families, business associates, friends. Her stomach filled with nervous butterflies once she saw her parents sitting at a table, a tall blonde guy sitting at the same table, nodding at everything they said to him. Her father pointed his chin to her once he saw her approach, which made her mother turn around and stand up.

"Nora." Blythe Grey wrapped her arms around her daughter. "We're so glad you could make it."

"Hi, Mom." She hugged her back, looking over her mother's shoulder at her father. "Hi, Dad."

You could cut the tension with a knife, Nora had turned her back on these people five years ago and until today they never let her forget about it. She didn't get warm welcomes or smiles anymore, usually they gave her the cold shoulder because she had made the choice to step away from them. A choice that had let her be with Patch, but made her lose her family. They didn't agree with that choice, they never would and she never thought they would actually come to accept it. Not that she cared, it wouldn't change her, but it still hurt that even after their successes their family's still found them a disgrace. All because they didn't marry who they had picked out for them.

"Nora." He nodded firmly and pointed his hand to the man beside him. "May I introduce you to Tristan Miller?"

"Nice meeting you." She extended her hand. "I'm Nora."

"Tristan." He shook her hand and smiled warmly. "It's nice meeting you, may I say you look beautiful?"

"Thank you, Tristan." She smiled shyly and let her gaze switch between her mother and father. "Where's Vee?"

"I don't really know where Vee is at the moment." Her mother smiled and motioned for her to sit down. "Let's start on the first course, yes?"

"But she's coming, right?" Her voice pitched, her eyes looking for her mother's brown ones. "You said she would be here and I want to hear her stories about New York."

"I'm sure you'll hear them, sweetie." Blythe pushed her down on the chair. "Let's eat."

Nora tried to make herself comfortable and started picking on the food that was placed in front of her, looking at the entrance every five seconds to see if her sister had arrived. She glanced at Tristan who sat nervously beside her, her parents keeping their eyes trained on the two of them at all times. The longer they sat there, the more she got the feeling that her parents were up to something she wouldn't agree with.

"So Nora," Her mother smiled, glancing at the man beside her. "Did you know that Tristan works for that new firm in town, he's an architect."

"Really?" She looked at Tristan beside her, trying her best to sound interested. "I'm sure that's really interesting."

"Yeah..." He nodded, smiling at her. "I just hope that the firm starts making money, we're new here so we still have to make a name for ourselves otherwise I won't be able to keep my job."

"Wait." She jumped up in her chair, her gray eyes sparkling. "Is it the new firm next to the Starbucks? My friend is setting up a campaign for them."

"That's possible." Tristan sat straighter in his chair, sipping on his glass of wine. "Does your friend work for Angelo Salvo?"

"He does." She nodded, laughing warmly. "I saw the campaign, I think you"ll get to keep your job. He said you were lucky because they wanted some newbie to do it because they have too much work, but one of the firms they were working for went bankrupt so he got your account instead."

"But if the firm went bankrupt?" Tristan arched his eyes, smiling softly. "Then how can I trust your friend?"

"It wasn't Patch's fault." She rolled her eyes, biting her lip. "You're lucky he didn't hear that or he would rip your head off."

"Nora, honey." Her mother grabbed her hand, giving her a disapproving look. "Let's not talk about Patch tonight, okay?"

"Why not?" The smile fell off her face. "Why can't we talk about Patch?"

There had been a time when Patch had been everything to them, a time when they could picture him as the perfect son-in-law. But that time never came and Patch didn't do what they wanted him to do, instead he chose the other way and did his own thing, not marrying Vee. Then he didn't marry Dabria either. Her parents would never accept his choice, neither would his. He became the forbidden subject in every conversation and the only reason why he was still invited to all the events, was because the Cipriano's wanted to keep up appearances.

"It's not an appropriate subject." Blythe smiled tightly, trying to soothe her. "How's everything at school?"

"You mean the school that Patch is paying for because you refused to?" She cocked her head to the side, smirking. "It's going great, I'm already getting job offers and Patch is really proud of me."

"Stop defending him, Nora." Harrison punched his fist on the table. "The boy's a disgrace to his family and he's a disgrace to us."

"Because he didn't marry either of the people you wanted him to marry?" Her eyes went wide, her teeth clenched together. "Or because he didn't step into the business with you and Mr. Cipriano?"

"I apologize for my daughter's behavior, Tristan." Blythe pointed her attention at him. "She went through a difficult period, thanks to this Patch guy who she had a crush on when she was younger, her life became a mess, but she's getting it back on track."

"He's not 'this Patch guy', he's Patch." She threw her napkin on the table. "And I'm not going through a difficult period."

"No, because you are ready to find yourself a suitable husband and start a family." Blythe locked her eyes on hers. "You're going to move back home and stop those photography classes, instead you're going to business school so you can take your father's place in a few years."

"It's journalism, Mom." She let out a hard laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's how much you care about my life, you don't even know that I want to become a journalist?"

"Nora, calm down."

"No, Nora." The velvet voice came from behind her. "Please throw a fit."

She turned around on her chair, her ash eyes locking with the coal ones she knew all too well. He smirked at her and in that moment she felt safe again, comfortable in her own skin because she knew it'd be okay, they'd get through this. Ever since they left together five years ago, they became an invincible team, he had her back when her family tried to push her into something and she was there to get him out of the room when his family was insulting him. Five years ago they walked out of that room together and they silently promised each other that they would stick together. "Patch." She shook her head at him, scanning over his tensed body. "Why are you here?"

"Vee called my apartment," His eyes locked onto hers and back to her parents. "She said she would be here in three days."

"You have no right to interrupt this family dinner." Harrison stood up, moving in front of Patch. "This is none of your business, this is between us and our daughter."

"This isn't a family dinner and she isn't your daughter anymore, you said so five years ago." Patch pushed her father out-of-the-way and grabbed Nora's coat from her chair.

"Come on, I'm taking you home."

"Nora." Her father turned around to her. "I can forgive you for five years ago because you were young and when you're young, you make mistakes. But you're a smart girl, this is your last chance, if you're going with him then you're not a part of this family anymore."

"It was nice meeting you Tristan." She looked at the baffled man beside her and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I owe you a coffee for all this drama."

"Don't worry about it." He gave her a tight smile and shook her hand. "It was nice meeting you too."

"Nora." Her mother stood up, her eyes hardening. "Don't do this. You're making the wrong choice."

"I made the right choice five years ago." She took her coat from Patch and grabbed her bag from the floor. "So I'm going to make it again."

She turned on her heels and started walking between the tables to the exit, Patch's hand supporting her lower-back while they left the same way they left their parents behind five years ago. She had to blink her eyes once the cold air hit her face and made it harder for her to keep her tears back.

"It's really not something worth crying about." Patch stood on the sidewalk beside her. "They should be the ones crying."

"They used Vee to set me up with some guy I've never heard about." She spun around and came to face him. "They're trying to do the same thing to me as they did to you."

"They're trying to get to you and they're trying to control you." He took her shoulders and locked their eyes. "This is what we walked away from five years ago."

"But why don't they leave us alone?" She stomped her foot, tears rolling over her cheeks. "If they don't agree with us than the least they can do is leave us alone."

"They want to show their power." He wrapped his arms around her shaking body, holding her closely. "Don't let them have power over you, don't let them get to you."

"Using Vee is just a really low blow." She hugged him tightly, hiding her face against his leather jacket. "I need coffee."

"I'll buy you coffee."

"That's why you're my best friend."

"Because I know when you need coffee?"

"No," Nora looked up at him, doing her best to give him a warm smile. "Because you have the money to buy me coffee."

"It's a good thing you're already crying," Patch tapped her nose and shook his head in amusement. "Or I'd make you cry for that comment."

"I know." She pecked his cheek and placed her head back down against his shoulder. "I took advantage of the fact that you can't stand to see me cry."

"If you keep on insulting me, then I won't buy you coffee."

"I wasn't insulting you." She looked up at him with her most innocent eyes, playfully smiling. "I was commenting on your ability to be mushy and caring."

"You really don't want me to buy you coffee, do you?"

She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his side while he wrapped his arms around her body and held her close against him. He was the only one that was able to comfort her at moments like these, when she thought the world around her was falling apart, Patch managed to put a smile on her face within five seconds. It was one of the reasons why she chose to go with him five years ago, because he was the foundation of her happiness, he was the rock that stood behind her to make her strong, to make her reach things she never thought possible. In the twenty years they had known each other, he became everything to her, and to this day, he still was.

"Do you regret it?" His intelligent black eyes looked down on her. "The choice you made, do you regret it?"

"No." Nora shook her head, shrugging. "It may have had consequences that I don't like but I don't regret going with you."

"I took you away from your family."

"You are my family." She placed her hand on his cheek, stroking it softly. "You were there more when I grew up than my parents ever were."

"You were a cute kiddo." He placed a kiss on top of her head, grabbing her hand in his. "Besides, even if I wanted to get away from you, you still clung to my leg."

"And you became so tired of it that you picked me up and carried me over your shoulder."

"You made me carry you." He pushed his finger against her chest, shaking his head. "I still remember that time when you were fourteen and your mother bought you your first pair of heels. You twisted your ankle and I had to carry you, but you made me tell everyone we were playing bride and groom."

"You promised me you would never speak of that again," Nora swatted him, turning away from him. "You know I don't like it when you tell embarrassing stories about me."

"I haven't even reached the embarrassing ones," He threw his arms up, his eyes wide open. "Do you remember the first time you got your period?"

"Patch." She pointed her finger at him, warning him with her eyes. "Do not go there."

"Now, that was embarrassing."

"My mom never told me about it," She stomped her foot, glaring at him. "I didn't know what was going on."

"You asked me to put a bandage on it," Patch walked past her, shaking his head at the memory. "You thought you were going to bleed to death."

"And do you remember how embarrassing it was for you when you had to explain to me the whole thing?" Nora crossed her arms over her chest, stomping after him. "You were the one who had the talk with me."

"One of the many examples that show how incompetent your parents are."

"I'll never forgive you for bringing this up again," Nora hit his shoulder while walking into the bar, a pout on her face. "Not even your smile is going to get you out of this one."

"Matt, give Nora a latte and some extra cookies." He plopped down on the stool at the bar, rubbing his eyes. "And a bourbon for me."

She followed Matt's body as he made her a latte and poured a glass of Bourbon for Patch. Her dove eyes occasionally wandered into Patch's direction, she smiled softly as she saw him bury his head in his hands, his skin paler than normal, dark circles under his eyes, his black hair messy.

"You okay?" She placed her hand on his shoulder, rubbing it soothingly. "You look tired."

"I had a long day." He looked up at her, his tired eyes focusing on hers. "But I'm fine."

"You work too much."

"Well, someone has to pay for your education."

"Patch." She shook her head, grabbing his shoulder. "If I need to work more shifts here at the bar then you can just tell me, I don't want you to have to worry about money because you're paying for my school. Even if you weren't paying for it, or over work yourself to death because of me or feeling responsible for me. I am an adult now I can look out for myself some too." Nora said as she gave him a wink knowing she meant more than just paying for schooling.

"I don't have to worry about money, okay?" Patch squeezed her hand, smiling softly. "And you don't have to work more than you already do, you have to study and make sure that you pass at the end of the year."

"I will pass." She sipped on her latte, smiling. "I promise."

"I know you'll pass, you're a good student," He downed his bourbon, fixing his midnight eyes on her smoky ones. "You always were."

"Speaking about being a good student," She put her cup back down on the wooden counter. "I still have an essay to write so I should go home."

"Won't Bella and Shadow be there?" He arched his eyebrow at her, retrieving his key from his pocket. "You can't stand noise around you when you're writing."

"I'll manage." Nora sighed, lifting her shoulders. "It's due tomorrow so I'll have to make it work."

"Go to my place." Patch held his keys up for her. "I won't be there tonight anyway."

"Another girl?"

"Have you seen the blonde in the corner?" He smiled smugly, pointing his head to the corner of the bar. "She's been checking me out since we got here."

"Have fun." She grabbed the keys and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Be safe."

"I always am," He rolled his eyes at her, smirking. "We wouldn't want any mini-Patch's walking around, would we?"

"That's not what I meant." She grabbed her purse and swung it over her shoulder. "Just make sure you get home in one piece, that's the way I prefer you."

"Talking about being safe," He grabbed his wallet and handed her a few bills. "Take a taxi."

"I can walk home, Patch."

"It's not safe to walk alone at this time at night." He put the money in her hand and closed it. "Take a taxi and text me when you get home."

"Yes, Mister overprotective," She rolled her eyes, nudging him. "Bring bagels with you when you come home in the morning."

He nodded and she started walking towards the door, turning around with the handle of the door in her grasp. She watched as he approached the blond girl, a predator going for it prey, the blond looked up and immediately smiled at him. He had that effect on all the girls, could get any girl he wanted and she had to watch him take them from a distance. She had done it for the past five years and every time a new girl ended up in his bed, it seemed to hurt a little bit more than it did the time before. Because with every new girl in his bed, a bit of her hope was chopped off, over the years her hope only faded away, the dream of having him as her husband, the craving to carry his children, it was now all buried deep inside of her, pushed to the bottom of her being because with every girl, that dream seemed a bit further out of reach than the day before.


	14. Chapter 14-A JOURNALIST & A FUND-RAISER

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING...ESPECIALLY THE CHARACTERS, ALL PROPS GO TO BECCA FITZPATRICK AUTHOR OF HUSH HUSH SAGA**

_THIS CHAPTER: __DABRIA HAS A FEW WORDS FOR NORA...PATCH GET'S QUESTIONED_**  
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_NEXT CHAPTER __-"AUCTIONED"-__ GRANDMA MAKES AN APPEARANCE, THERE'S A HEART 2 HEART_

_CHAPTER 14_

_A JOURNALIST & A FUND-RAISER_

"Patch."

"Hi."

Nora felt him drape his arm around her waist, pulling her closer into his chest. It wasn't the first time that he had snuggled into bed in the middle of the night and it wouldn't be his last, his bare chest pressed against her back, his legs entangled with hers, his arm wrapped possessively around her waist. She liked it when he came home to her, when he knew she was going to be there and still came just to sleep next to her and wake up next to her in the morning, it made her hope rise a tiny bit more, that one day he would wake up next to her every morning.

"I thought you weren't coming home?"

"She wasn't worth staying for," He mumbled against the back of her neck, snuggling into her. "Sex wasn't that good."

"Does this mean I won't have bagels in the morning?"

"That's exactly what it means." He chuckled against her shoulder, placing a kiss on it. "We'll force Rixon to get us bagels in the morning."

"Then he'll be nagging again about the fundraiser." She took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers. "He really wants us to go."

"Rixon needs a girlfriend." He started stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. "He has so many sexual frustrations that it's making me frustrated."

"Then maybe you should help him find a girlfriend." She squeezed his fingers with hers, pressing her back firmer into his chest. "You know a lot of girls."

"He wants you." He whispered in her ear, his grip on her tightening. "He's been in love with you for years."

"I know."

"Look at me."

Nora turned around his embrace, feeling his arms locked around her once again when she set her hands against his chest, her soft gray eyes looking for his, finding the sharp black ones filled with determination.

"Don't ever settle." Patch cupped her face in his hands, his eyes looking right into her soul. "Don't ever settle for someone who's less than you."

"You want me to become a spinster?" She tried to laugh it off but her voice broke. "Grow old with a bunch of cats around me?"

"I'll be there with you." He pushed his nose against hers, chuckling softly. "I'll be there still fucking everything that breathes and you'll still make snarky comments about it."

"You think we'll still be like this in fifty years?"

"I think we'll be forever like this." He whispered, his eyes burning with the black fire. "Just you and me."

"Always"

The day she walked out on her parents it was because they didn't want him around her anymore, and she couldn't be away from him. Her heart had ached with the thought of losing him, her soul was apart with the prospect of losing her dream. She would never be Nora without him because she grew up with their bodies tangled into each other; the world wouldn't be the same place for her if she didn't get to see it with him; her life wouldn't be worth living if she didn't get to spend it with the man she loved. So when they forced her to choose, she chose what was the only right decision for _her_, she chose the prospect of her dream, the calling of her heart. Patch was her choice.

* * *

><p>"Do you have a girlfriend?"<p>

Patch pushed himself up on the bed and leaned on his elbows, the navy blue wrinkled sheets covering his waist, sweat drops running over his abs. He arched his eyebrow as the blond girl who stood in front of his closet and traced her fingers over the smooth wood.

"No."

"Then why do you have female clothing in your closet?" She turned around to him, eying him suspiciously. "You aren't married, are you?"

"No." He threw the covers off him, standing up with a sigh. "I have a best friend."

"Must be some best friend if half your closet has her clothes in it."

"She is." He grabbed his pants from the floor and walked into the bathroom, leaving the door open. "She's the only person I trust enough to have clothes in my closet."

"She's a lucky girl." The girl leaned against the door frame, crossing her arms over her naked chest. "I bet she's in love with you."

"Let me tell you, Abi."

"It's Andie."

"That's what I said." He rolled his eyes at the mirror in front of him. "Nora is the kind of girl who wants a husband and children, I'm not that guy."

"I never said you were."

Patch eyes locked on her green ones, detecting the small amused smile on her face. He had once been ready to start a family, to be someone's husband, play with his children in the yard, but that dream had exploded into his face, the hurt it caused ripped his heart wide open. Patch would never give anyone the chance to make him go through that again, not even the woman he trusted more than anyone.

"I said that she's in love with you." Andie smiled smugly, watching him pull his pants on. "And you probably don't know her well enough to see it."

"I know Nora better than anyone." He leaned against the bathroom unit. "I know Nora better than she knows herself."

"Prove it."

"Okay." He stood up straight, biting his bottom lip. "Her favorite color is green, her favorite food is pizza, favorite series is The Vampire Diaries, her favo-,"

"Blah blah blah." Andie mocked him, waving her hands in the air. "I could know those things if I'd spent five minutes with her."

"She thinks she's a Republican because her parents brought her up to be one, but in reality she's a Democrat. She loves being around people, but after a few hours she wants to go home and curl up on the couch. She loves food, but couldn't cook if her life depended on it. Her bed is bigger than her room because she hates sleeping alone and has had night terrors since age of six, sometimes several times a week sometimes a couple of times a month that her parents refused to get her help for and the only person to make them stop and comfort her so she feels safe enough to sleep again is me, not another single person and no one but me knows what those night terrors are and that they are the same every single time. She pretends to be okay with all my one-night stands, but she hates it. And it's only partly because of all the different women, it's because she's scared that one day a grizzly bear of a husband will kill me. I know she doesn't sleep before I come home; she never did, when she was a little girl she would sit in front of her window with her teddy bear until she saw me turn up the driveway and come tuck her in or she'd watch for my bedroom light to turn on so she knew I had made it home safe. She'd do anything for those she loves and any guy catching her eye should be begging her to marry him." Patch let his eyes travel over Andie's naked form. "Don't tell me that I don't know my best friend, we grew up together, I lived next to her for ten years and lived with her after that, just because she pays her part of the rent in an apartment she shares with her girlfriends doesn't mean that she really lives there."

"I'm sorry." She pushed herself off the door frame and shrugged. "It's the journalist in me, we want to know everything."

"I think it's time for the journalist to go." Patch walked out of the bathroom, leaning against the bedroom wall. "I have a fundraiser to attend."

"You mean the annual fundraiser for all the founding families?" Her eyes went wide and then narrowed thoughtfully. "What's your last name?"

"Cipriano."

"You are the eldest son, aren't you?" She let her eyes travel over his bare chest. "I heard about you, they said your parents disowned you for calling off your engagement."

"Look, Andie." He tasted her name on his tongue. "If I wanted to share what happened five years ago, I would have accepted the interviews they offered me. But I'm not the sharing type."

"Why didn't you tell your part of the story?" She arched her eyebrow at him, shaking her head. "The only ones that gave an explanation were your parents."

Patch still remembered the day he had walked out on in his fiancé, called her every name in the book and slammed the door shut behind him. The media had camped out in front of his parents' door to know why the marriage between the two richest families in town wasn't going to happen. He knew what his parents had said to cover up the drama, how much they paid the papers to write exactly what they said. The truth was something very different, and only a few people knew the reason why he had called off the marriage of the year and turned his back on his parents with only his best friend by his side.

"It's no one's business." Patch snatched the picture she took from the shelf out of her hands and placed it back where he had it. "No one's business but mine."

"The Nora you're talking about, your best friend?" She pointed to the picture in front of them. "She's Nora Grey."

"Thank you for telling me."

"Everyone thought she was the reason for your break-up." Andie fixed her gaze on him. "Because she left her family for you."

"She wasn't the reason for my break-up." He took the picture in his hands again and smiled softly. "She was the reason I couldn't lose it after the break-up; I had to take care of her, I had to make sure she ate, slept, that she had clothes, I had to put her through school and make sure she had a roof over her head. It was just the two of us; we couldn't count on anyone but each other, not even as kids of two parent affluent households, its always been the two of us."

"There was no one to help you out?"

"I don't have any family here in the area." His mouth formed a hard-line. "We stayed with Nora's grandmother for a couple of weeks until our parents found out and did everything they could to get us out of there."

"But you survived."

"That's the thing with me and Nora." He put the picture back on the shelf and grabbed his shirt from the ground. "We always survive, together."

"She loves you." Andie stared at the picture and looked at the four people in it. "You can see it in the way she's looking at you."

"That's the day Rixon and Nora graduated." He pointed his chin to the picture. "On the right is Nora's sister Vee, the four of us grew up together. We were raised as siblings, Nora was always my favorite Grey though, it was like I had to protect my little sister."

"So you see her as your sister?"

"I did for a very long time until one day she came to me and asked me to have sex with her." He smiled softly at the memory, sighing. "Everyone was doing it and she was still a virgin, but little insecure Nora wanted to be part of the club."

"Did you?"

"I said no when she asked me." He looked down at the floor, staring at the wooden pattern."But then the day of her the prom came and my younger brother called me and told me her date, Dante, was bragging after football practice how he had gotten a date with Nora Grey, how he had rented a sleazy room at the Motel 6 there and he was going to break in the famous "Ice Princess" as they called her because she didn't date, she was still a virgin. I was seven hours away with my fiancé', but I hopped in my car and floored it back there. He had his hands all over her and she looked so resigned and miserable and yet like a goddess, all grown up and sexy as hell. I couldn't handle someone using her as a notch on their belt or hurting her. She deserved to enjoy her first time with someone who loved her and would take care of her, so I grabbed her and took her to a five star hotel in the next town over and the rest is history.

"You were jealous."

"I was engaged." He smirked dangerously, his black eyes shimmering. "We were visiting her parents in New York when Rixon called me. I couldn't stand the thought of someone else's hands on her body so I made up some excuse for my fiancé, packed my bags and drove back to Coldwater Creek to have sex with my best friend."

"You cheated on your fiancé."

"Well..." Patch shrugged indifferently. "One month after that she wasn't my fiancé anymore."

_...Nora had looked so so sexy, and so innocent... so...MINE..._

"It's time for you to go." His mind snapped back to the present, his eyes glancing at the clock. "Nora's going to be here in ten minutes and knowing her it will be three unless she stops for coffee on the way over, then it will be six."

"I'd give you my number but I have this feeling you won't use it anyway." She buttoned her blouse back up and smiled tightly. "You don't seem like the guy that calls a girl after sex."

"I only call them _for_ sex." Patch waggled his eyebrows at her, handing her the black skirt. "Can you hurry up? Nora's going to torture me the whole day if she finds you here."

"Already done." She grabbed her purse from the chair and started walking to the front door. "I'll see you around, Patch."

"Maybe."

He pulled the door open and met with soft smoky eyes, her reddish-brown hair draped around her face in big unruly curls, her hand raised in the air ready to knock. He saw her eyes move from his face to Andie's, scanning her body from head to toe, inspecting every little detail about the woman. She always did this when she met one of his one-night stands; it was as if she needed to compare every one of them with herself. He never understood why when all he saw was an angel versus a descent looking fuck, hell, even the gorgeous ones he had paled in comparison to Nora, but she still seemed insecure of her looks no matter what sexual experiences they shared which were far and wide, she just never got over that one insecurity, the need to compare like she wasn't good enough for him when it was the exact opposite in his mind, he would never be good enough for her.

"I guess she didn't stop for coffee." Andie smiled tightly and stepped through the door past Nora. "Bye, Patch."

"Bye." He moved his gaze from the back of Andie's head to Nora's amused expression. "Don't give me that look."

"Whore."

"I knew you were going to say that." He rolled his eyes and pushed the door shut behind her. "You really need to come up with something else."

"Get in the shower, Patch." She placed the garment bag she was carrying on the couch and turned back to him. "We're going to be late because of your libido."

"Like you care." He clicked his tongue, shrugging indifferently. "You hate these kinds of things."

"Not when my grandmother's coming."

"This boring fund-raiser just turned into an adventure."

"Yes it did." Her dove eyes shimmered while she crossed her arms over her chest. "So get ready because we're going to dance, eat all the desserts and watch my grandmother argue with my mother."

He couldn't help but to shake his head at her and step on the platform to his bedroom; she followed him and took the small make-up bag with her into the bathroom while he pulled his pants off and grabbed the shampoo from the shelf, watching her apply her make-up in the mirror. He hated her wearing makeup, he didn't think she needed it.

"You don't need that stuff." He stepped under the beads of water. "You're stunning."

"Shadow will kill me if I don't wear it."

"I'll kill Shadow if she forced you to wear it." He smiled smugly, running his hand through his damp hair. "And it will be my pleasure."

She looked up in the mirror, locking her eyes with the darkening ones, tingles spreading across her skin as the water drops ran down his body, his hands gliding over his muscled abs. She couldn't help but to turn around and let her eyes linger, her skin itching to have his skin against hers, her body trembling with anticipation.

"Come into the shower and I'll let you touch me."

"We don't have time for that." She walked closer to the shower glass. "I wish we had though."

"Get in the shower, Nora."

"No." She crossed her arms stubbornly, glaring at him. "I spent an hour doing my hair; I'm not going to ruin it."

"You sure?"

"You're not the only one who can torture the other, you know?" She started unbuttoning her blouse. "I can do the same to you."

Nora stepped in front of the glass and locked her eyes with his, smirking playfully. His black eyes widened as she slowly let her blouse fall over her shoulders to her arms and from there to the ground beneath her. He cocked his head to the side and pouted his lips in approval of the black lacy bra she was wearing. She eyed him dangerously and slowly undid the button of her jeans, revealing the matching black lacy panties while she slowly stepped out of the jeans.

"Is it already bothering you that you're on the other side of the glass?" She bit her lip and pointed her chin to his twitching member. "Because it's certainly already bothering him."

"He's happy when he sees flesh." Patch rolled his eyes at her. "Don't take too much pride in it."

"He's smiling." She waved at his waistline, grinning like a fool. "Do you want to come here to Mommy?"

"You're a troll."

"That's a compliment of the highest order on Tumblr."

"Tumblr's the website with the moving pictures, right?"

"They're called gifs." She rolled her eyes in annoyance, huffing. "And they're pretty."

"How can they be pretty if they always make you cry?"

"Because they're so pretty that they make me cry." Nora pouted at the thought, her eyebrows frowning together. "I wish I could make them so pretty."

"I don't get it."

"That's why you would never be a good fangirl."

Patch shook his head in amusement and turned around to the tiled wall, his bare back and bottom on display for her eyes. The craving to have his body pressed against hers came back to the surface, not able to wait a few hours until she would be in bed next to him with their limbs entangled. And that would only be if he didn't meet a girl at the fund-raiser, someone he wanted to take home and show a good time, then she would end up in the apartment she shared with Shadow and Bella, alone in her bed, thinking about how she could be the one holding him at night.

"What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

Nora jumped as he suddenly stood next to her, snapping her mind back to reality. Her eyes moved over his toned chest, water drops running down to the towel that wrapped around his waist; she looked back up and found his deep eyes staring at her, inspecting her black lacy underwear.

"I was wondering which earrings I should wear." She walked back to the bathroom unit and grabbed the two pairs of earrings. "Long or short?"

"Long."

"Okay." She started putting the long earrings on and smiled as Patch nudged her out-of-the-way. "You think they'll talk to us?"

"Do we care if they talk to us?" He turned to her, arching his eyebrow. "We're not going for our parents; we're going because Angelo wants me to talk to some potential clients."

"But we'll be forced to sit at the same table as them." She jumped on the counter in front of him. "Because the Cipriano's and Grey's are best friends."

"Well, aren't we?" He blinked his eyelashes at her, tickling her sides. "I thought we always were."

"We are." She wrapped her arms around his neck, locking their eyes. "And our parents are so it's kind of right."

"We'll be fine."

"Yeah, we will be."

Patch smiled softly before leaning in to kiss her lips. She pulled him closer with her arms still wrapped around his neck and softly pressed her mouth against his, feeling his lips part underneath her touch. Nora chuckled softly as he opened her legs for him and stepped between them, pressing himself against her core. Her tongue entered his mouth and was surrounded by a warm heat that made her moan. He started sucking softly on her tongue and started purring under her touch. Already making love with their tongues each caught up in their own slice of heaven like the greatest dessert ever invented lied in every corner and crevice of the others mouth waiting to be relished.

"Patch?"

"God, no." Patch pulled away from her, growling as he heard Rixon's voice. "I didn't lock the door."

"How are we supposed to protect our kingdom when you don't secure the gate?" Nora hopped off the counter and rolled her eyes. "I'll receive our guest."

Patch's eyes flickered dangerously and he shook his head, laughing. She sent him an evil glare and walked out the bathroom through the bedroom. She came to the edge of the platform and locked her eyes with Rixon's green ones. His mouth fell open as soon as he saw her, his eyes scanning up and down her body before he composed himself and turned away, muttering an apology while hiding a sudden raging hard on for the girl who got away, the girl who always chose his undeserving brother. It was that apology that made her look down and scan her body, realizing in that moment why Patch had laughed at her; she was still only wearing the lacy black underwear. It took the dirty laugh that came from behind her to snap her back to reality.

"You asshole!" She turned around, punching Patch's chest with both her fists. "You could have warned me."

"It's not my fault that you're so comfortable around me." He waggled his eyebrows, scanning her body. "Or that you're more often naked than dressed when you're with me."

Nora gave him one last punch; putting all her strength in it, which was a considerable amount since she worked out six days a week cardio and weights, before turning back to the living room and Rixon that still stood with his back towards them. She grabbed the garment bag from the couch and walked past Patch into the bathroom, bumping into his shoulder while he still stood there laughing.

"You can stop acting like you didn't enjoy that." Patch got off the platform and walked towards his brother. "We both know that's what you wanted to see all along."

"Don't start again, Patch."

"She looks good, doesn't she?" He bit his lip, cocking his head to the side. "Just imagine that body on top of you, I bet it gets you hard just thinking about it."

"Patch." Rixon clenched his teeth together, looking uncomfortable. "Stop it."

"She loves it when you kiss her stomach, from her naval down to paradise." He chuckled softly as Rixon clenched his hands into fists next to his sides. "And it is paradise, brother. Believe me, I've been there plenty of times. There are still no words to describe the smell or taste of her nectar, not a thing in the world to compare it to, it's a true paradise."

"I'm surprised you still notice the difference after all the women you've had." Rixon's hard eyes locked with Patch's shimmering ones. "I thought by now they would all look, smell, and taste the same to you."

"Not Nora, little bro." He pushed his finger into Rixon's chest, shaking his head. "She's better than any wet dream you've ever had, she's certainly the best I ever had and like the fine wine our family is known to have grown and still appreciate, she gets better and better with age."

"Then why do you still sleep with other women?"

"Because otherwise it would seem like we're in a relationship." Patch shrugged indifferently. "And we are not in a relationship, I don't do relationships anymore. Nora is fully aware of that and why. She just happens to love me enough to stick around and not judge me, which is more than I can say about anyone else." Looking pointingly at Rixon.

"Your last relationship is back in town." Rixon smiled smugly, watching Patch's expression. "She'll be at the fund-raiser."

"That will be interesting."

"What will be interesting?"

Nora came from behind the frosted glass, wearing a black dress that hugged all of her curves and stopped mid-thigh. Patch had to swallow the lump in his throat as he watched the angel in front of him. Her long brown hair curled and fell around her face and all the way to her waist; she wore very little make-up, but it made him even more aware of her big dove-gray eyes; the black heels on her feet made her long tanned legs look even longer than when they were wrapped around his waist.

She had always been beautiful; he had watched her grow up from a child to a teenager and with every year she gained, she seemed to become more breathtaking. The day he took her virginity he had held the most beautiful angel in the world in his arms; months later when he held her again like that he could only conclude that she had become even more beautiful. Five years later there was no one that could top her beauty, and he didn't know why he still bothered to look at other women; they were a disappointment to his eyes, they'd never have those big dove eyes or the reddish-brown silky hair, the cute dimples that grew on her face when she laughed. He didn't know what he had done to deserve her, to find her and to get to keep her in his life, she was beautiful in mind and body and what made her even more beautiful and priceless was the fact that she wasn't even aware of it.

"To see how Rixon's going to ask the girl out that he's been pining after for all this time."

"There's a girl?" Nora's eyes lit up, a smile gracing her features. "Tell me."

"No." Rixon exchanged a look with Patch and sighed. "There's no girl."

"You're lying." She stomped her foot, glaring at him. "Tell me, did you kiss yet?"

"Nora." Patch whined dramatically, rolling his eyes. "They haven't even been on a date yet."

"_You_ don't go on a date before you kiss."

"But Rixon isn't as cool as me."

"I'm right here." Rixon gave the both of them an annoyed look. "Do not insult me when I'm standing in your apartment."

"Why are you even here?" Patch scoffed, arching his eyebrow. "I thought you'd have licked Dad's shoes by now at the fund-raiser."

"Our parents sent a limo." Rixon smiled warmly, looking at Nora. "I know how much you like limousines."

"You make me sound so shallow." She put her hands on her hips, her serious expression changing into a hopeful one while her gaze moved to Patch's. "Can we take the limo, pretty please?"

"Arriving at the fund-raiser in a car my parents paid for?" He pretended to be enthusiastic. "I don't think so, but you can ride with Rixon."

"Patch." She whined, clasping her hands together. "Please?"

"No." He came closer and tapped her nose. "You go with Rixon, I'll come after you."

"They'll probably have had me as an appetizer before you arrive."

"I don't hear you complain when I eat you..." He lowered his voice once he received an evil glare. "...out."

"Okay." She raised her voice, turning to Rixon and grabbing his arm. "I'm coming with you."

"Be good." Patch yelled after them as they walked to the door. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Which means we can have meaningless sex in the back of the limo."

"You don't have to be so snarky about it."

"We're leaving!"

"Use a condom!"

"So you finally went for the Cipriano they did offer you on a silver plate." The high-pitched voice made Nora turn around. "Hi Nora, I'd say it's nice to see you again, but I would be lying."

"And I would be offended." She crossed her arms over her chest, smirking. "Hello Dabria."

"Did you finally realize that Patch would never go for you?" Dabria's green eyes traveled up and down her body. "Or did he use you and throw you away like his other toys?"

"He threw you away too. Looks like only one of us is still around and it's certainly not you." She cocked her head to the side, glaring. "I thought Dabria would never be someone's toy."

"We both know he was my toy." Dabria curled her long brown hair around her finger. "And he was more than my toy; he became my fiancé, something you weren't very pleased with if I remember correctly."

This was the woman who had burned her best friend; she had made him the man he was today. She could still remember the days when Patch would have gladly settled down with the woman he loved; start a family and have a dog running in the yard, but that all changed when Dabria came along. He was blinded by her looks, by the witty remarks and the mind-blowing sex; he didn't see what she saw. The cold personality that hid in Dabria, the woman who would never give him the children he wanted, or the family he craved. She and her family were after his money, the money of his family, because he was the eldest, he was the one that would get the firm after his father passed away. But Dabria didn't foresee one thing, the girl that watched over her best friend with hawk eyes; that would claw her eyes out when she didn't treat him the way he was supposed to be loved. Carefully executed plans and time ensured the true workings of Dabria had come to light. And in the end, Nora _was_ the reason the engagement was called off; it was something her parents or Patch's parents never forgave her for, but she didn't regret it, she still didn't.

"At least I succeeded in keeping him for twenty years." She pouted her lips together. "I remember you were gone after two years."

"Everyone takes you for this innocent girl who chose the wrong path," Dabria had a little smile on her lips, clearly amused. "But you're not so innocent when it comes to Patch, are you?"

"I want him to be happy and whatever makes him happy makes me happy as long as he's not being hurt." She looked down at the floor, biting her lip. "And you are not what makes him happy... just hurt."

"And you are?" Dabria started walking backwards into the crowd. "Take my advice Nora, marry Rixon like they always wanted you to, like Rixon has always wanted you to, because Patch, will never give you what you want."

She took a deep breath as Dabria turned around and disappeared into the crowd, her long red dress swaying across the floor. Her eyes scanned the room, noticing the draped curtains, people dancing and laughing, families talking. She grew up at these sort of things, knew probably everyone in this room and yet standing here; she had never felt so alone. She was the lost daughter of the Grey family now, the one that chose the wrong path; people would rather be dead than to talk to her. It didn't matter which dress she wore, how nice she looked or how expensive her jewelry was, she wasn't part of the club anymore, she only still carried the name because they couldn't take it away from her, no matter how hard they tried.

"Aren't you the prettiest thing I've ever seen?" The husky whisper reached her ears, warm arms wrapping around her waist. "What does this amazing body of yours think about a quickie in the bathroom?"

"This body thinks you're an hour late." She turned around in his embrace, locking her cool gray eyes with the black ones. "You better have a damn good excuse."

"Something came up."

"I'm sure I know what came up." She grabbed his crotch, making him cringe. "You do not leave me alone for an hour in a room with our parents because little Patch decides he wants to go for a walk."

"Nora, are you familiar with the term blue balls?" He whined, grabbing her hand that was still squeezing his crotch tightly. "Because it's not pretty, believe me."

"Does it hurt?" She tightened her grip, watching the pained expression on his face. "Good."

"Patch?" Angelo's voice made Bella let go of Patch. "What happened to you?"

"He's been bad." Bella turned around to Angelo and watched Patch search for support against the wall. "That was punishment."

"I wish you gave me the kind of punishment I enjoy." Patch pushed his forehead against the wall, holding his crotch. "Damn, I didn't know you had so many muscles in those tiny arms."

"Did you already tell him?"

Nora's eyes snapped from Angelo's blue ones to the door where Gianni and Gabriel came running through. She chuckled softly at the worried expressions on their faces and watched the frown appear on Patch's face. Although the two men grew up together with her and Patch, she had never been as close to them as she was to Patch. She let them use her as their little sister, but that didn't mean she bonded with them until the day she left with Patch and even Bella and Shadow refused to talk to her for months. They welcomed her into the big boys' club and taught her how to drink and smoke like real men. Angelo was not only their boss, but the one that watched over them and her, he was the one that made sure they got home safely with their pants still on and their money in their pockets on top of being Patch's other closest friend and savior when they were a step away from being homeless and starving after being disowned. It was Angelo who gave them the life they now enjoyed.

"Tell me what?" Patch pushed himself off the wall, slowly standing up. "I don't like those smiles on your faces."

"We're a bachelor short." Angelo spoke up, directing his gaze at Patch. "Since you weren't here, you pulled the short straw and you get to spend your night with the richest horny woman in town."

"You're kidding me, right?" Patch looked horrified, his eyes glancing to all of their faces. "This is too sick to be funny."

"I'm not kidding." Angelo shook his head in amusement. "You're being sold for the highest bid."

"At least you won't feel cheap after you had sex with her." Nora bit her lip to hold back her laughter. "It might make you feel better."

"Do you know what kind of women bid on those bachelors?" His eyes went wide. "They're at least twice my age and they look like dragons."

"You were obsessed with dragons when you were fourteen." She shrugged indifferently, a smile growing on her face. "It might bring back some happy childhood memories."

"I'm glad you find happiness in my misery."

She clasped her hand over her mouth to hide her smile while she walked past the three men into the ballroom. Her eyes quickly scanned over the table seating and found her name at the bottom. She sighed and started walking towards the end of the ballroom, feeling a hand being placed on the small of her back.

"Just remember that they're a bunch of idiots who have nothing better to do than to hate their children for having an opinion." Patch placed a quick kiss on her temple. "Whatever they say, I have your back. Okay?"

"And I have yours." She placed a kiss on his cheek, wrapping her arm around his back. "Just don't leave me alone to go fuck a waitress."

"Already checked them out." He nudged her side, smirking devilishly. "I think I'm going home with you."

"Wrong, Casanova." She chuckled, her eyes shimmering. "You're going home with the one that spends the most money on you."

"Don't remind me of it."

"Stud!"

"At least someone's happy to see me." Patch laughed warmly as the older lady came running from their table. "Hi Clista."

"You two are late." Clista's ash eyes glared at them before she wrapped Patch in a hug and squeezed him tightly. "How do you get more handsome every time I see you?"

"Your eyesight gets worse every time you see him." Nora interrupted whatever Patch was going to say and wrapped her arms around the older lady. "Hi Grandma, it's good to see you."

"My beautiful granddaughter."

Nora hugged the woman that had practically raised her. Her parents had never been really present in her life, neither had Patch's; so her grandmother practically raised the two of them and their siblings. She was the one that tucked them into bed and prepared breakfast in the morning before she drove them to school before Patch was old enough. Family was everything to the older woman once her husband Nick Gilbert had died twenty years ago, Nora didn't have any memories with her grandfather, but from what she heard, her grandmother and grandfather had been completely in love, the kind of love that never dies. When Nick died, everyone thought it wouldn't be long before they lost her too, but the truth had been something very different. She became a full-time parent to her grandchildren, and when five years later she noticed how absent the Cipriano's were in their children's lives when they moved next door, she took Rixon and Patch under her wing and raised them with the same love she raised her own grandchildren. Nora's grandmother was the woman she wanted to turn out to be, she had an epic love and marriage followed by a very active role in life, especially her grandchildren's lives.

"You're still as beautiful as the day I met you, Clista." Patch patted her shoulder. "Where did you find the fountain of youth?"

"And you, Stud." She pointed her finger at him, her ash eyes shimmering. "Are still as much of a charmer as the day you discovered it had girls opening their legs for you."

"I believe you were the one who taught me."

"And I'm damn proud of it." Her white curls bounced as she chuckled a warm laugh. "Come on, I ordered for the both of you."

The laugh disappeared from Nora's face as her grandmother turned around and motioned for them to follow her to their table. Patch gave her a look and placed his hand back on her back, pushing her towards the table of doom.

"Nora!" Vee stood up once she saw her, wrapping her arms around her. "Finally, you're here."

"I didn't know you were going to be here." She hugged her back, doing a little dance. "It's so good to see you, you have to tell me everything about New York."

"Hello people." Patch sat down next to Rixon and watched around the table, noticing everyone turn their heads away from him. "Well at least you won't ask me for a picture or an autograph, I can live with that."

"Your ego is already big enough." Rixon turned to him once everyone started talking again. "They just don't want to make it any bigger."

"You and I need to have a talk." Patch crossed his arms on the table, hearing Nora giggle with Vee beside him. "Why was Nora standing on her own in the hallway?"

"Dad dragged me with him and she wanted to wait for you." He shrugged, shaking his head. "She's a big girl Patch, she can stand on her own in a hallway."

"I give you an hour with her and you leave her behind in the hallway?" He clenched his teeth together. "You do not under any circumstances leave Nora alone in a place where our parents can get to her without backup. Not to mention Dabria being here tonight also."

"She was fine."

"And you're damn lucky that she is." His intense black eyes went narrowed. "Next time you take her with you, you stay with her. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Patch." Nora sing-song, shaking his arm. "It's time for the auction."


	15. Chapter 15 - AUCTIONED

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING...ESPECIALLY HUSH HUSH CHARACTERS**

**_THIS CHAPTER:_ **_AUCTION, GRANDMA, HEART TO HEART, SMUT..._

**NEXT CHAPTER: **_FACTS OF FAMILY-NORA'S MOM VS. GRANDMA AND PATCH...ADULT ACTION OF COURSE_

_**CHAPTER 15**_

_**AUCTIONED**_

"God, no." Patch sighed defeated, noticing Angelo motioning for him. "Don't let Gianni or Gabriel speak at my funeral, will you?"

"I promise I'll write you a great eulogy." She pulled him towards her and kissed him briefly. "Let's see how much you're worth."

He got up and she followed him with her eyes, watching all the bachelors line up in front of the stage. All the women gathered in front of the platform and she couldn't help but to stand up and watch Patch from the back of the room, keeping her eyes on him at all times.

"You still look at him like the first day you saw him."

"How's that?"

"Like you have a million questions in your head and he's the answer to each one of them." Clista wrapped her arm protectively around Nora's shoulders. "How are you doing? It's been so long since I've heard from you."

"I'm good." She smiled, nodding. "I'm busy with school and I still work at that bar in town so I've been busy, I wanted to call you but I always get home after midnight."

"You and Patch can call me anytime." Clista rubbed her back soothingly. "I just get worried when I don't hear from the two of you."

"We'll stop by sometime soon." Nora locked her eyes with Clista's ash ones. "I promise."

"Good." Clista's eyes moved to the stage, locking on Damon's form. "God, that man is really something, isn't he?"

"You're as much in love with him as any other woman in this room."

"Not as much as you are." Clista's eyes locked back on hers. "Are there still other girls?"

"Yeah..."

"Give it time." Clista squeezed her hand, holding it in hers. "It was the first time in his life he got hurt, it's going to take a while before he gets over it."

"Sometimes I wonder what I'll do if he never gets over it." She bit her lip, looking down at the hard wooden floor. "What if he keeps on fucking every girl he meets?"

"Then you'll have to make a choice."

"And I'll choose him." She shook her head in disbelief. "He lost everything because he put his trust in me, he's not going to lose me too because I made him like this."

"He chose to become this, Nora." Clista's wise eyes looked up at her. "You did the right thing by telling him what you knew, showing them the evidence you had, and as much as your parents might hate me for saying this, you did the right thing by going with him."

"But my life would have been so much easier if I hadn't." She looked up to see the bachelor before Patch on stage, women screaming their bids. "My family would still accept me, people wouldn't give me dirty looks when I walk across the street, I would be able to concentrate on school instead of worrying about money."

"But would you be happy?"

"Probably not." Nora laughed nervously, locking her eyes with Patch's. "I have more memories with him than with my parents. They're not all good, but he was more there when I grew up than my parents ever were and he still is."

"Do you remember what you told me the first day you saw him?"

"No."

"You said, Granny that's the most beautiful boy I've ever seen, one day I'm going to marry him." Clista laughed warmly at the memory. "That changed twenty minutes later when he started pulling on your ponytails."

"And still we became best friends." Nora chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. "Who would have thought?"

"It was a Sunday when I figured it out, you were wearing your white dress to go to church and your mother told you a hundred times not to get dirty." Clista looked deep in thoughts, staring right in front of her. "I only know that when we were ready to leave, we found you and Patch in a pool of mud and you claimed he pulled you in it, but I always believed you jumped in right after him, and that's the day I figured it out."

"What did you figure out?"

"That's the day I figured out that Patch Cipriano was going to be trouble." She laughed and shook her head once Patch got on stage. "And he hasn't disappointed me a day since then."

"I don't remember that."

"Of course you don't." Clista eyed her warily, smiling. "You'd never admit that you jumped in it by yourself."

"It's Patch's turn." She pointed to the stage, changing the subject. "How much do you think he's worth?"

"Do you really want him to go home with one of those desperate women?"

"I've watched him do it every day for the past five years." Her mouth formed a hard-line. "I think I can handle another one."

"Why don't we change that?" Clista waved her hand in the air, yelling. "Five thousand!"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm the richest woman in town, honey." Clista smiled smugly. "Besides, it's for charity."

"I can't believe this."

"Ten thousand!" Clista jumped up in the air, making Patch laugh on stage. "God, how desperate are those women?"

"You should see yourself." Nora's eyes went wide. "You're not much better than them."

"Well, if I buy Patch for the night, I'll have you too." She stood on tiptoes, watching over the crowd. "You two are like a package deal."

"You can get us for free."

"But then how will I spend my money?" Clista shrugged indifferently. "Okay, let's get this over."

"What do you mean let's get this over?"

"Fifty thousand!" Clista couldn't help but to laugh as whole the room went silent and looked at her. "That got them quiet."

"I'm worth fifty thousand dollars."

"You did wonders for his ego, Grandma." Nora rolled her eyes, looking away. "I'll be hearing this for months."

"Oh honey." Clista patted her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll think of a way to shut him up."

"I can think of a few." Patch waggled his eyebrows at her and turned back to Clista. "Are you a fox like your granddaughter in bed?"

"Patch!"

"Don't worry, Nora." Clista shook her head, squeezing her fingers. "I'm not your mother, I know what happened the night of your prom, I saw you two get back in the morning while Mister Cipriano here should have been in New York with his wife-to-be."

"You knew that all this time?" She crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at her grandmother. "Why did you never say something?"

"What's a dirty little secret if someone else knows?"

"I can't believe you." She clasped her hand over her mouth. "Are you sure we're related?"

"Your father and my son, used to be a hell of a lot more fun before he met your mother." Clista's eyes went dull. "He used to remind me so much of Nick, but the day he met your mother that all changed."

"Do you think they'll ever accept us again?" Nora whispered, exchanging a look with Patch. "It's been five years, will they ever let it go?"

"I think something bad has to happen before they'll realize how lucky they are that the two of you are alive and healthy." Clista rubbed Nora's arm, squeezing it. "You know I'm proud of you for being so strong, I'm more proud of you than I ever was of my son."

"I know." She nodded quietly, locking her eyes with Patch's. "We'll be fine with the two of us, won't we?"

"Yeah..." His voice was husky, his eyes boring intensely into hers. "We always have been."

"It's getting too cold for this old lady." Clista pointed her head to the front door of her home. "I should get inside."

"Goodnight, Grandma."

"Goodnight, sweetie." Clista pecked her cheek quickly and rubbed Patch's arm affectionately. "Bring my granddaughter safely home, Stud."

"I'll even tuck her in." He placed a kiss on Clista's cheek and watched her move towards the front door. "Goodnight, Grandma."

"Goodnight my boy."

Nora watched the scene in front of her with a tingling stomach. There had always been something special between her grandmother and Patch; it was as if the older woman knew that he would never let anything happen to her, that she trusted him with her most valuable possession. They were raised the same way as Vee and Rixon, but yet Clista always taught them one lesson more, you always take care of your loved ones and you always follow your heart, it was something she had told her and Patch more than Rixon and Vee, because she seemed to know that one day the only person they would be able to depend on was the other.

"You want to walk through the park?" Patch draped his jacket over her shoulders and took her hand in his. "Or straight home?"

"Let's go through the park." She leaned her head against his shoulder, placing her hand on his arm. "I want to see the fountain."

He pressed his cheek against her forehead and slowly dragged her with him in the direction of the park. Moments like these were rare, the moments where she could imagine him as the perfect boyfriend, when he took her home, held her protectively in his arms and placed soft kisses on top of her head because he knew how she was feeling. It was everything she wanted them to be, just the two of them snuggled up on the couch, waking up next to each other every morning without knowing he had been with another girl the night before.

"I've been thinking." He whispered quietly against her forehead, his lips moving against her skin. "I think you should go on a date with Rixon."

"What?" She looked up at him, a huge grin on her face. "Where did that come from?"

"Earlier when I said Rixon was going to man up and ask the girl he likes on a date, I meant you." His ebony eyes bored into hers, more serious than she had ever seen them. "He likes you Nora and he's a good guy, you'd be good together."

"Why would I want to go on a date with Rixon?" She pulled her hand out of his, crossing them over her chest. "They wanted me to marry him, Patch, and I didn't want that then so why would I want that now? Look at how he was over the dancing contest and all the other times with me when we were younger, he was controlling or indifferent and I almost ruined the relationship between both of you. Not to mention it again or risk sounded like a junior high girl, but I. don't. like. him. that. way. He is like a brother to me and who wants to go on a date with their brother?"

"I'm not telling you to marry him." He threw his arms up, his eyes going wide. "But how long has it been since you've been on a date?"

"I hate dating and you know it." She walked a couple of feet in front of him. "I only go on dates because Shadow and Bella force me to."

"But you want a family." Patch grabbed her arm and made her turn around. "You can't start a family on your own."

"There's always artificial insemination." Nora muttered under her breath pissed off. "You told me not to settle." She pulled her arm free out of his grasp and walked to the fountain. "Rixon would be settling."

"I don't think so, Nora." He shrugged, biting his bottom-lip. "He loves you and he would take care of you and give you children."

"But _I_ don't love _him_." Her cold hard steel-gray eyes locked on his coal ones. "Doesn't it matter who _I_ love? Maybe I want to be single, maybe I actually like my life, maybe I'm sick of everyone trying to tell me what I should do or what I should want. Why do you get the freedom to do what you want with your life, but I don't after all we have been through together? You want me to date, then I will find my own dates, maybe I'll start living like you, but I will not date someone I see as my brother and friend, just because he wants to marry me and have a family with me just like everyone else wants us to, but that's what _they_ want not me, Patch, not me. My feelings should matter too, at least to you of all people." Nora sighed, her anger finally dissipated.

His night sky colored eyes lost their shimmer and he couldn't keep staring at her anymore. Sometimes she wondered if he didn't know the way she felt about him, that he knew that there would never be someone else. She always thought that was the reason he never brought it up, because once she'd made a confession everything between them would change, he would be sure about her love and she would want to know about his feelings. But when things like this happened, he seemed to know that she had loved him all along, that he had owned her heart and soul since the day she met him. It was what scared her the most; if he knew and he still chose to sleep with other women it meant that her love wasn't enough for him, that after twenty years of loving him he still couldn't bind himself to her.

"I never told you what I wished the last time I was at this fountain." Nora looked down in the blue water of the quiet fountain. "I wished the most horrible thing anyone could ever wish for."

"What was it?"

"I wished you wouldn't marry Dabria."

She still remember the day she stood here with tears in her eyes, her hair blowing in the wind, her cheeks red, her eyes puffy. It was the day she first read the announcement of his engagement he had hand delivered her with excitement all over his face. She still felt the pang in her heart as she thought about him being bound to another woman; it had ripped her apart inside out. So when she stood here in the place she shared so many memories with him, she couldn't help but to toss a coin into the water and wish for the most awful thing you could wish your best friend, she wished him heartbreak.

"I was so scared that I would lose you." She wiped away the tear that had escaped her eye. "Who's Nora Grey without Patch Cipriano? We were always a team and then suddenly you were going to be a team with someone else and I couldn't stand the thought of it."

"It's okay." He shook his head at her, cupping her cheek into his hand. "It wasn't your fault."

"But I wished it." She took his hand in hers, pushing her cheek into his palm. "What kind of friend does that make me?"

"The kind of friend that doesn't want to lose her best friend." Patch held his arms out to her and wrapped her safely into the cocoon. "I would have done the same if it was you."

"You wouldn't." She sobbed into his shirt, clawing him. "You would have wished me the best."

"I'm sorry about the whole Rixon thing." He placed a kiss on top of her head. "I just know that you want children and a husband more than anything."

"You're wrong." She looked up, shaking her head softly. "I want you."

"But..."

"Shh." She put her finger on his lips, kissing them softly. "I don't want anything else but to be with you in fifty years, that's what will make me happy. You and I forever, that's the only thing I need to be happy, my best friend, my partner in crime."

Patch's lips parted slowly, his deep black eyes boring into hers and she noticed him gently coming closer, his lips touching hers softly before pushing a little further until they melted together in a soft kiss. No one would be able to take this from her, not her parents, not Dabria, not Bella or Shadow, moments like these between them was what she lived for, his kisses, his touch, it was what had kept her going through the past five years. It was what would always keep her going. Him.

"Let's steal some coins from the fountain." He breathed against her lips, leaning his forehead against hers. "It's been ages since we've done that."

"Patch." She pulled on his arm as he ran towards the fountain. "No."

"Come on." He dragged her with him. "Live a little, Nora."

She watched him as he pulled his shoes off and rolled his pants up, slowly getting into the fountain. She couldn't help but to shake her head at him and laugh while he started picking up coins from the bottom, his eyes shimmering as he looked up at her. It took him two seconds to grab her arm and pull her into the water with him, making her fall flat on her face into the cold liquid.

**"**Patch!" She started splashing water on him. "You ruined my dress!"

"It isn't the first time and it won't be the last time, Angel."

"This is just like when I was nine and you pulled me into the mud with you."

"We both know you jumped in after me."

"I know."

No one ever died from loving someone; no one was ever killed by being loved. It's only when a person is separated from love that it has the power to kill. It tears a soul apart, a heart wide open, and at the same time it closes. Because no heart that knew true love will ever accept a love that's less. No person that found true love will ever love again quiet the same way.

But what if the love you crave searches comfort in other women? What if he gave up on love years ago and claims never to love again? What if you wake up next to him almost every morning to see the sun rise in his eyes? What if the thought of leaving him tears you inside out? What if you could never love another man like this; completely, with all of you, unconditionally and without limits or doubts? If that love is never returned again by the only man you can love, will the friendship he gives you keep you alive, or will his broken heart kill you?

* * *

><p>"Oh my god!"<p>

Nora's phone slipped out of her hands as she quickly covered her eyes with them, her cheeks blushing a crimson red. The images of her naked friend hovering above an equally naked woman flashing through her mind, the sight of him buried into another body, the woman's legs wrapped around his waist, her fingers digging into his shoulders, his moans muffled in the crook of her neck, his hair messy from her clawing fingers.

"I'm so sorry." She held her hand in front of her eyes, uttering an apology. "I was texting and I... oh my god."

An amused chuckle made her peek through her fingers, finding Patch still draped over the other naked body. He didn't even seem the slightest bit annoyed by the interruption; instead he looked over his shoulder and arched his eyebrow at her, his lips turned up in an amused smile. The blonde beneath him looked up at her with the same grin on her face. It only made her feel sillier about her reaction; she had seen this man naked in front of her more times than she could count. Yet, finding him naked in bed with someone else made her feel like a little girl all over again, not like the experienced woman of her age that was now connected to him in ways she wanted to be with him all day long.

"I wanted to ask you if you need anything from the grocery store." Nora started turning around, walking back towards the door. "Don't worry, I already put condoms on the list, I know they are more important than milk in this household."

"Nora." Patch's voice made her pause in her step. "Come back here."

She took a deep breath and turned around again, sauntering to the opening that gave her access to the bedroom. Her eyes fixed on the wall beside her as she reached the plateau. In the corner of her eye she found Patch sitting at the edge of the bed, the blonde beside him still on her back, waiting for him to take her again.

"Do you need anything?"

"Come here."

"Coffee, cookies, sugar?"

"I'm not planning on a tea party anytime soon." He let out a short laugh, getting up from the bed. "Come here."

Her face only started to heat up more as she stood nailed to the ground and he started walking towards her in all his glory. She knew it was foolish of her to feel more embarrassed with every step he took but that didn't keep her from jumping when he reached her and grabbed her arm. Her smoky eyes flew to his deep obsidian ones, her lips parting in shock as he stood butt naked in front of her, his expression more serious than it had been a minute ago.

"Good morning, Nora."

"Hi."

She stumbled in his arms as he grabbed her waist and pulled her body flush against his, the sweat drops of his chest absorbed by the fabric of her tank top. He grabbed the bag she carried on her shoulder and slowly pulled it from her arm, dropping it next to him on the floor. Her eyes followed his every movement and watched his darkening eyes closing the distance between their lips. She gasped into his mouth as he plastered it against hers and grabbed her waist, holding her captive in his embrace. The kiss felt familiar and yet so strange, his lips moved hungrily over hers, possessively, almost desperately but she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. It made her briefly open her eyes and peek over his shoulder to the woman whose flesh lay on display for everyone's eyes.

A pang of jealousy shot straight through her heart as the blonde smirked at her, giving her a knowing look. That smugness made something boil inside of her, the little green monster running through her veins at the speed of a lightning bolt. She arched her body into Patch's, grabbing his head and pushing his nose against hers. He smirked before sliding his tongue between her lips, tasting the inside of her mouth with every time he met her tongue. Her hands wandered over his bare chest while his fingers tangled into her silk brown hair, his teeth tugging at her bottom lip.

The whole picture was about someone staking her claim, telling the woman on the bed that she would only be there once, that in a few hours she would make room for someone who lay there almost every night, who had the right to hold him in her arms while he slept, who was owned by him because he had made her his years ago.

Patch walked the girl he thought her name was Marcie out to the door and quickly walked into his room where Nora laid staring at the ceiling looking at him with a look in her eye he didn't recognize, but one also that told him she was in need to stake her claim, just as he had done over and over with her.

"This will have to be quick." He pushed his lips against her, chuckling softly. "I don't know how much longer I can keep it up, even with my famous stamina."

"God, I want you inside of me."

Nora's body arched up from the mattress once Patch slipped inside of her, finally filling her, making them one, giving her the other part of her soul. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles so she could get him closer, deeper inside of her, his skin against hers, exactly what she needed in this moment, the comfort of him being hers.

His nose brushed up and down against hers with every thrust, his dark eyes locked on hers, not even moving as she saw his face take on an expression she knew all too well, the years of being with him that told her that he was almost there. Those years with him rushed through her head, like every time they were like this; the first time she ever saw him, the first smile he gave her, the first hug. It was all carved into her mind, everything they went through to be able to stay together, to make each other smile the day after the next, to be able to love the only family they had left. It was all she could think about as her walls started to pulse around him, meeting their perfect fit.

"Fuck, babe."

"Patch."

He fell on top of her, his body covering hers, their sweat drops mingling, their breathings filling the same small space, their chests panting against one another. It wasn't until Patch recovered slightly, that he was able to pull out of her, throwing the condom next to the other one on the ground.

Nora turned on her side, burying her nose into the pillow, Patch's scent still very much lingering there.

Nora's eyelids struggled to stay open, her body drained, her mind lost in the fog that seemed to surround her. The mattress moved beneath her, Patch's masculine smell hugging her, his finger tracing a lazy pattern over her back. A shiver ran down her spine before she turned around on her back, placing her hand on her forehead, turning her face towards Patch. A turmoil of emotions went through her as she looked up at him, finding his hands behind his head, his dark eyes staring at her, the memories and feelings of just five minutes ago swerving around in her mind.

"You know that sometimes I ask you to do really stupid things?" She breathed, locking her smoky eyes with the coal ones. "But you do them because you know I'm crazy, but you find it completely adorable?"

"Yeah..."

"Pinch me."

"What?"

"Hit me."

"Make up your mind."

"Do both."

"You've lost it, Grey." He shook his head in amusement, arching his eyebrow. "That amazing orgasm I gave you must have blown your brains out."

"It feels like there's electricity running through my body." She sighed into the air, enjoying the way her body was still humming. "If you touch me now you might get electrocuted."

"You think my phone will charge if I put it into your vagina?"

"Depends on the voltage, I guess."

"I could put it on vibrate and take your phone." Patch shrugged like they were discussing the most random topic. "We could get seriously kinky, not that we haven't before or won't were absolutely amazing." He tugged a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. "You always are."

"Why now?" Her big eyes bored into his. "It's not the first time I've walked in on you. Why ask me to join you and what's her name now?"

"I don't know." He shrugged indifferently, glancing over her head. "Probably because women were the only thing we hadn't shared yet."

"We don't share everything."

"You wear my underwear."

"You don't wear mine." She smirked, her eyes narrowing. "Besides, you practically never wear any underwear."

"Let's rephrase that," He shook his head at her, tapping her nose. "We share everything I own."

"Can I wear your boxers to class this afternoon?"

"You still have class?" He eyed her suspiciously. "What time?"

"Two." She scooted closer to him, nuzzling her nose into his chest. "And after I'm going shopping with Shadow and Bella for tonight's big event."

"Do we have to go?"

"It's Clista's birthday." She placed a kiss on his chest, looking up at him. "We owe it to her."

"And she'd kill us if we weren't there."

"That too."

"Your grandmother is one scary woman." He placed his chin on top of her crown, chuckling. "Much like her granddaughter."

"The granddaughter can do some serious damage to your sex-life." She punched his chest with her fist. "Little Patch's depression would drag you down with him."

"Save your strength and go to sleep." He grabbed her fist and held it in his hand. "You can barely keep your eyes open as it is."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going back to work." Patch kissed the top of her head, releasing her hand. "I have a meeting at four."

"Stay until I fall asleep." She yawned, closing her eyes. "I hate sleeping alone."

He wrapped his arm around her as she turned on her back, her head leaning against his chest, her side pressing into his front. This was what she needed when she was tired, his arms around her, his skin against hers, it made all the bad things in the world go away because he was the dream. She never asked for anything in her life, never had to because she had everything. But then she met him, the five-year-old girl that she was, completely mesmerized by him. He became everything to her, friend, brother, protector, parent, lover and she loved him for all of those things. Then the night of her prom came and they became one; together with all the love she had for him separately, it mixed all together and resulted in a love that couldn't be conquered, the kind of love you'd kill for, loving someone so much that living without them seemed impossible.

"Thank you."

"Hmm?" He snuggled his nose into the crook of her neck. "For what?"

"For being everything I ever wanted."

* * *

><p>"How about this one?"<p>

Shadow pulled the curtain from the dressing room open without a warning, holding the tenth dress she wanted her to fit. She didn't dare to sigh, knowing she'd only provoke a reaction from Shadow that she wouldn't live through. Instead she put on her best beaming smile and grabbed the price tag from the yellow dress.

"It's too expensive." She shrugged, shaking her head. "And I really like the blue one."

"But you'll look way hotter in this one." Shadow did a little jump, her blond curls bouncing. "Please, try it on? Pretty please?"

"I don't want to look really hot." She pushed Shadow out of the dressing room. "I want to look like a sophisticated grown-up."

"Why would you want to look like that?"

"Because my parents will be there." She muttered under her breath, grabbing all the dresses from the bench. "Maybe if they start seeing me as a grown-up then they'll realize that I'm able to make my own choices."

"And you think that they will forgive you by looking sophisticated?" Shadow put her hands on her hips, her blue eyes narrowing. "I think it's going to take a lot more than a dress to get through their thick skulls."

"A girl can dream."

"Hi guys."

Bella walked back into the store, carrying three cups of steaming coffee. She arched her eyebrow at Nora as she noticed the amount of dresses that were draped over her arm. Nora rolled her eyes and cocked her head in Shadow's direction. Bella bit her lip and gave her a knowing look, watching Shadow wander between the different aisles.

"Guys?"

Nora smirked at Bella, cocking her head to the side. "We have boobs, you know."

"You are awfully chipper today." Bella crossed her arms over her chest, her brown eyes studying her body. "Did you get laid this morning?"

"She always gets laid." Shadow yelled from behind the rack. "Her best friend's a sex god."

"Keep your voice down!"

"But look at her, Shadow." Bella pointed her arm at Nora, smiling from ear to ear. "She's glowing."

"OMG!" Shadow exclaimed, letting the clothes drop to the ground. "You're pregnant."

"NO!" Her eyes popped out of her head, her cheeks turning crimson red. "I'm on the pill and we always use a condom, we're safe, I'm not pregnant."

"Patch still doesn't want to fuck you without a condom?" Shadow looked up at her, a certain frown appearing on her small face. "I thought by now he'd have gotten over his demons."

"Apparently he hasn't."

Patch never had sex with anyone without a condom, and no matter how many times she told him that it was okay or how many times she begged him to just have her like that, he never did. He said it was because he didn't want her to catch any diseases because of his lifestyle; she had long ago discovered that the truth was something very different. A condom was the only thing between them while they were connected; the only thing that shielded him from her and that shield was exactly what he still needed. They might have been best friends and shared everything including their bodies with each other but he would never let anyone get as close as Dabria once was to him.

"Dabria messed him up pretty badly." Bella shrugged, pouting her lips together. "I don't think he'll ever recover from that, at least not enough to marry you and give you everything you want."

"Bella." Shadow exclaimed, hushing her. "It's not because you have the perfect boyfriend that you're allowed to judge."

"I'm certainly having more sex with my non-boyfriend than you with your boyfriend." Nora arched her eyebrow at her friend, shaking the thought off her. "You're actually forcing me to a point where I'm talking about Angelo's life."

"Angelo doing business in New York might put my sex life on hold," Bella cocked her head to the side, smirking. "But at least I know he doesn't sleep around with other women."

"It's Patch's way of coping with the world."

"He's an asshole that thinks with his dick." Bella threw her arms up. "When are you going to realize that he's only going to drag you down with him? He's bad for you, Nora."

"Bad for me?" She threw the dresses on the table in front of her. "Who drove us to dance lessons every Friday? Who took us to the movies and the zoo? Who brought you to the hospital when you broke your arm at my place? Who helped us with our school projects? You don't have the right to judge him because he did as much for you and Shadow as he did for me." She clenched her teeth together, her eyes boring into Bella's. "And you do not have the right to talk about him like that because even if he could never stand you, he still picked you up every morning and drove us to school, the least you can do is show some respect."

"But that was..."

"That was what?"

"Before Dabria." Bella's eyes filled with remorse, her bottom lip trembling. "Before he became this insufferable egocentric asshole."

"I'm buying the blue one." She grabbed her bag and dress from the table before smiling apologetically at Shadow. "Don't wait up for me; I'm sleeping at my non-existing-boyfriend's apartment."

"Nora." Bella grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "I'm sorry about what I said."

"No." She pulled her arm free, shaking her head. "I had an amazing morning with amazing sex and one of the most mind-blowing orgasms I have ever experienced. And then I napped for a few hours and went to class which didn't seem to be as boring as usual; I was having a great day until you ruined it and I'm not going to let you ruin it any further because I'm pretty sure my parents will already do that tonight."

She spun around on her heels and walked to the desk, the brunette behind it greeting her with a polite smile. Bella and Shadow were bickering behind her, too far away from her to understand what they were saying but their voices were hushed. She turned back to the sales lady and watched her fold the dress neatly until her phone rang in her bag.

"Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?"

"That's exactly why I'm calling." Patch sighed into the phone. "The meeting got moved to six which means..."

"Which means you won't make it to Clista's dinner."

"I'm sorry, babe." He clacked his tongue. "But I'm sure Clista will understand if you stay at home."

"No, I have to go." She handed her credit card to the brunette. "It's her sixty-ninth birthday; she's been looking forward to this for years."

"Our dirty Clista." He chuckled softly, sighing again. "If it's any comfort I persuaded Rixon to pick you up in the limo."

"Now my life finally has meaning again."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me." His tone was annoyed, knowing. "Who did you get into a fight with, Grumpy or Bashful?"

"Grumpy."

"Did she want to paint your nails orange again?"

"She almost made me buy a pair of yellow shoes." She accepted her bag from the sales lady. "I was about to pay for them when I realized I hated them."

"So you were arguing about me then." He chuckled, making her roll her eyes. "I can't wait to hear it but I have to go now."

"Okay." She pushed the door of the store open. "Bye."

"I'm really sorry about tonight."

"You think you'll make it for desert?" She smiled softly. "I heard it's chocolate cake."

"I don't eat chocolate cake."

"Which means I'd have two pieces."

"I'll try to make it." She could picture him shaking his head. "Just so your sugar levels won't drop drastically."

"I think this is one of the top reasons why you're my best friend."

"That," He emphasized. "And I give you great orgasms."

"Yeah yeah," She rolled her eyes at him. "Bye bye, king of my orgasms."


	16. Chapter 16 - FACTS OF OUR LIVES

_**CHAPTER 16**_

_**FACTS OF OUR LIVES**_

"I heard about your fight with Bella."

Nora snapped out of her thoughts, looking around the table, noticing her parents on the other side. Her mother's eyes landed on hers for an instant, the expression on her face darkening once she received a smile from her daughter. That hard, distant face made a pang shoot through her heart again, the sophisticated dress she was wearing not having the desired effect.

"I'm sure she told you all about it, Vee." She rubbed her sore shoulder. "No need for me to repeat it."

She had always been close with her sister, even after she had left with Patch and her parents forced Vee to choose sides too. She chose hers but for some reason her parents couldn't let go of their oldest daughter. That's why she wasn't eyed like her, with the disappointed look or the disapproving frown; instead they treated her like she was the only child they had ever had. It never bothered her, she knew it wasn't her sister's fault, but she couldn't help but to notice that from the moment she had started dating Scott, there had come a tiny crack in their bond.

"She's just worried about you." Vee grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "She doesn't want to see you get hurt and neither do I."

"Vee, you grew up with Patch too," She shook her head at her in disbelief. "You know he'd never do anything to hurt me."

"Not on purpose." She turned her body towards her, her green eyes boring into hers. "But you want more and he's not able to give you that."

"I think you and Bella should stay out of this." She pulled her hand out from under hers, grabbing her glass of wine. "I know you want the best for me, but I'd be a lot more miserable without Patch."

"You think you can forgive us?" She used her puppy eyes on her, blinking her eyelashes. "Because I have to ask you for a favor."

"Sure. What is it?"

"I want you to help me pick out a ring."

"Scott proposed to you?" Rixon popped his head in front of Nora, leaning over her lap. "Why did I not know about this?"

"Shh." Vee hushed him, slapping his shoulder. "I want it to be a secret."

"I have a class in the morning, but maybe we can have lunch after and look for a ring." Nora shrugged, pushing Rixon back in his seat next to her. "Then we can talk about where you're going to get married because knowing you you'd get married in Vegas by Elvis."

"I'm not that bad." She gave her an offended look. "I've watched enough chick-flicks to know I'm not supposed to do that."

"I'm happy for you." She squeezed her shoulder, giving her a smile.

"Thanks Nora." She leaned forward over her lap and slapped Rixon's arm. "Hey Rix, we want you to be the best man."

"You sure?" Rixon arched his eyebrow at her. "The last time I was supposed to be the best man, the wedding got canceled."

"Because Dabria was a fucking whore!" Nora clasped her hands over her mouth as every pair of eyes in the room was suddenly staring at her, her parents looking at her in shock, Rixon biting his lip to hold back his laughter, her sister's lips pulled up in a small smile, her grandmother giving her a look that was amused and annoyed at the same time. It took her a minute before she had the nerve to let her hands drop to her lap, her eyes moving to the white table cloth.

"At least Dabria knew her place." Blythe's furious eyes locked on hers. "It was with her family and next to a man she'd give up everything for."

"She cheated on him, the only thing she was giving up was her body and she was using him to get everything she could while giving him nothing back but a shattered heart!" She threw her napkin on the table, her eyes wide open. "She found her place underneath another man."

"And it was not your place to tell Patch." Blythe gave her a stern look. "It was Dabria's obligation to; maybe if she had done so instead of you then things would be different now."

"Yes, then they would be married and she would still be cheating on Patch and he would be taken for every penny he had and left with empty dreams she would have refused to fill."

"Nora!" Her mother shouted, making Rixon jump in his seat beside her. "You do not know what sacrifices it takes to love a successful man, Dabria knew that. She knew Patch's needs would come before hers when he took over the family business."

"There's only one woman in this room that knows what it's like to love a man more than yourself." Clista gave Blythe a pointed look and turned to Nora. "Where is Patch, sweetie?"

"Working." She sighed, falling back in her seat. "The meeting from this afternoon got rescheduled and he had to be there."

"Shame." Clista picked on her dessert, looking around the table. "At least he'd have some dirty stories for me."

"Hold on to that thought."

Nora turned around in her seat, finding the cool black eyes locking on her cool gray ones. She shook her head in amusement as she saw the familiar smirk plastered on his face, his eyes devouring her from where he was standing in the doorway. He still wore the black suit he'd pulled on to go to work, the jacket draped nonchalantly over his shoulder, the gray shirt hugging his muscles. It wasn't until Clista coughed that the black eyes moved away from hers and focused on the hostess. Her parents sat silently in their seats, giving Patch's the evil eye, clearly still choosing his parents' side over his.

"Patch Cipriano." Clista crossed her arms over her chest. "According to etiquette you're supposed to greet the host first."

"I make it a habit to greet the most beautiful girl in the room first." Patch shrugged indifferently, smirking at Clista. "That's why you'll be second and Rixon third."

"I heard that."

"Didn't expect anything else little brother."

Nora's eyes watched him as he slowly came towards her, throwing his jacket on the couch mid-way. The smile on her face only grew wider as the smirk on his grew with every step, her heart skipping a beat, her skin already anticipating his familiar and welcome touch. And as she stared into that pool of midnight sky, she knew why she'd defend him each time, why he'd always come before anyone else. He was her partner in crime, the one she relied on, trusted with each of her deepest secrets, he was her steady rock and at the same time he was the wild-fire that rushed through her life. She'd never be anywhere really present until he was, because no one can ever be fully present if a part of them isn't in the same room.

"Hi beautiful."

A giggle escaped her once his warm arms wrapped around her from behind, his warm breath against her skin. He rocked her softly from side to side in her chair, hugging her tightly to his chest. Her fingers grabbed his arm that was draped over her breasts, her nose nuzzling against his cheek to inhale his smell. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as he pressed a kiss against her temple, taking her away from the room that was filled with the people watching them.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." She kissed his cheek, reveling in his touch. "I'm glad you could make it for dessert."

"You look absolutely stunning." He whispered into her ear, his breath tickling. "Do you mind if I have you for dessert later?"

She rolled her eyes at him as he slowly let go of her and made his way to where Clista was sitting. He kissed her on the cheek, making Clista's eyes light up, the older woman's cheeks turning crimson red. Nora couldn't hold her smile back as Clista forced Patch to sit next to her, her grandmother's hand resting on top of Patch's arm.

"Patch." Clista squeezed his arm, her eyes begging. "Tell me a story."

"Babe, tell her about the hookers." Nora clapped her hands, excited. "You know, about the pimp that wanted you to set-up a marketing campaign for him."

"That's certainly sounds interesting." Clista winked at the both of them. "Tell me."

"This pimp came in my office one day and asked me to develop a marketing campaign for this new bar he was going to open, you can all guess what kind of bar." Patch lifted his shoulders, lost in thoughts. "I told him that before I can promote something I always have to know what I'm selling, so I have to test the goods."

"The pimp let him fuck all the hookers." Nora threw her hands in the air. "For free."

"My job was never more satisfying nor exhausting as that day."

"And now he's still waiting for the results of his HIV-test." Nora mock glared at Patch, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm waiting for the day when he comes home with an STD just so I can torture him for years."

"I'm pretty sure if I catch it, you'll get it too."

"Well, we do share everything you own."

"What?" Blythe's eyes went wide, her arm punching Harrison Grey mid-way. "You two... you two...no."

"I think it's time for us to go." Patch leaned closer to Clista. "We've clearly overstayed our welcome."

"You just got here." Clista squeezed his thigh. "She'll calm down in a sec."

"It's not for me."

Both their gazes landed on Nora who sat glued to her chair under her mother's furious look. Her tiny body started trembling, after all those years still afraid of what they might think of her, knowing the pressure that rested on her shoulders since she was a little girl, one of the founding families, being perfect was never enough.

"I expect the two of you for brunch next Sunday." Clista pointed her finger at him and cocked her head to the hallway. "Get her out of here."

He squeezed the older woman's shoulder and got up from his chair, feeling Nora's eyes on him. He walked to the couch and grabbed his jacket, practically running back to Nora's chair. Blythe's eyes stayed glued to him while she kept shouting words he didn't want to hear but he knew for sure were ripping through Nora like a silver blade.

"Come on." He pulled her up from her chair and draped his jacket around her shoulders. "We're leaving."

"Get your hands off my daughter." Blythe stomped around the table. "Right now!"

"How much did you have to drink?" He adjusted his jacket on Nora and pointed his eyes sternly on hers. "Can you drive?"

"I had one glass of wine." She shrugged, watching her furious mother approach. "But I didn't even finish it."

"Here." He pulled the keys for the black Audi from his pocket and placed them in her hand. "Get out of here."

"What about you?"

"I'll take a taxi."

"Patch..."

"Get away from her." Blythe pushed against Patch's chest, her eyes wide open. "I'll sue you."

"For what?" He arched his eyebrow at her and pushed Nora towards the hallway. "For giving her orgasms?"

"She's my daughter!"

"Then why did I raise her?"

Blythe's expression went blank once the words escaped his mouth. A pregnant silence lingered in the room until they heard the roaring engine of the Audi, the car driving off Clista's driveway. Patch locked his eyes back on Blythe's, noticing the thoughts swerve through her head, the forbidden words spoken. The image of a seventeen-year-old driving her daughter to school every day, not once did she put any effort in it to do it herself. The fifteen-year-old tucking the little girl into bed at her grandmother's house, her parents nowhere to be found, she stopped asking for them the second he came into her life. Nora running down the terrace, stumbling over her own feet, screaming his name while the tears ran down her cheeks. Holding her and rocking her and whispering words of comfort as best he could when the night terrors had started and he was just eleven-year-old boy forgoing his sleep any day, anytime of the night because no one should ever have to be that scared alone. That's how it had always been, he had replaced the parents that weren't present in her life; while he should have been out partying, he was watching cartoons with the sleeping girl tucked under his arm. He made her pancakes in the morning, helped her do her home work, helped Clista organize her birthday-party. Their parents cared about nothing but image, their well-behaving children at the founder's parties. But in the bottom of their heart they knew, they had never raised their daughters. Their little girl became who she was today because she was raised by someone who was only five years older than her.

"You and I are going to have a talk."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Good." Patch cocked his head to the side, smirking. "Because it's my intention to get you to listen."

He despised this woman, felt every emotion that came close to hatred for her. Yet, he could never bring himself to really tear her down to the ground, to get her on her knees in front of him, sobbing, aching, crawling. Because he had seen her daughter suffer too much to really destroy any chance of them reconnecting again, of taking the girl he practically raised for her mother, destroying Nora's dream of ever having a bond again with the woman who gave her life.

"The only thing your daughter wants at this point is to have an actual conversation with you." He lifted his shoulders, his eyes watching Blythe's face. "She doesn't want your money, she doesn't want you to buy her a new pair of shoes, she just wants to talk to you about her school and her life. Hell, at this point she'd even settle to talk about the weather or that huge pimple on your ass."

"I don't have a pimple on my ass." Blythe crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. "How would you know that?"

"The fact that you choose to comment on that instead of on the things that really matter just proves my case." Patch rolled his eyes at her. "Listen to me, I don't give a shit if you have a pimple on your ass because I don't give a shit about you. What I do give a shit about is the girl who had the unfortunate displeasure of being born as your daughter and what makes her happy."

"The trash that disgraced his family will not tell me how to treat my daughter." Blythe pointed to herself, her mouth hanging open. "Nora made a choice and we told her there would be consequences; if she had made the right choice then she would have never had to deal with them."

"Your problem is with me!" He roared and threw his arms up, his black eyes flickering with rage. "You chose my parents above your own daughter because I didn't marry the girl they wanted me to marry and I didn't step into the business like they wanted me to."

"Yes, my problem is with you." Blythe spat at him. "Because you can't keep your hands off my daughter!"

"Nora doesn't seem to have a problem with my hands on her." He smirked slightly, pouting his lips together. "On the contrary, I think she enjoys it."

"I should sue you." Blythe lowered her tone. "A seventeen year old sleeping with a twelve-year-old girl in the same bed, I think the cops will find that as suspicious as I do. The only reason why I never did it before is because you're Cipriano's son, but a teenage boy so close to a girl who's five years younger, that just isn't right."

"She snuck into my bed because her parents weren't there when she had her recurring nightmare that her parents were too proud to get her help for, or when it was storming outside. It was me she called or text on a phone I bought and paid for her so when she couldn't make it to my house I could come comfort her at yours, no matter how young or old I was it was me who was there and not you, her own parents" Patch eyebrows knitted together, his heart drumming in his chest. "And for the record I never touched your daughter inappropriately, so the only one in this room that should be sued is you for neglecting your children for so long."

"How do you dare talk to me like that?" Blythe's eyes went wide open, glancing in Clista's direction. "How can you let him talk to me like that in your home."

"Oh, don't worry." Clista waved a hand in front of her, slightly amused. "I'll correct him the second he's wrong."

Patch glanced over his shoulder, smiling gratefully at the older woman who gave him an understanding nod. Her eyes shining with the same knowledge he had, she and him sitting at the breakfast table at Nora's first day of preschool, trying to calm her down, getting her to eat the cereals in front of her. Together they drove her to school, hugged her in front of the school gate, waved as she disappeared into the crowd. She had glanced multiple times at the children that were being dropped off by both their parents, but she never said anything about it, instead she had hugged Patch tighter, burying her face into his chest, hiding the hurt that hid behind those big gray dove eyes.

"Patch." Clista stood up, stacking his and Nora's plates. "Not even someone as smart as you can talk sense into someone as dumb as her."

"You're right," He let out an exhausted sigh. "They say people become smarter as they get older but she's still the same brainless bitch I met twenty years ago."

The gasps in the room reached his ears before his eyes noticed Rixon and Vee still sitting at the table, both their mouths hanging open. Harrison sat on the other end of the table, his eyes wide open, startled, staring at him like he was a rare species. The only one that was able to laugh at his outburst was Clista, her eyes sparkled in joy, her lips curving up in an amused smile. While the woman in front of him just stood there, acting like a goldfish that came to the surface to breathe, her mouth opening and closing again but her voice producing no sounds.

"Now that's how you end a conversation that's going nowhere." Clista patted his shoulder, standing straight next to him. "Pass the kitchen on your way out, I had my maid pack yours and Nora's dessert."

"You know you're a godsend, right?" Patch pecked Clista's cheek, squeezing her shoulders. "Happy Birthday, Clista."

"Don't be late for that brunch on Sunday." She pointed her finger at him, her eyes shimmering with mischief. "Or I'll take you into the basement to my torture chamber."

"I know you tried to make us believe that when we were kids, but there's nothing but bottles of wine in that basement."

"There's a secret door."

"You watch too much television." He tapped her nose, chuckling. "Get yourself a hobby."

"You..."

Their heads snapped up as Blythe's voice suddenly interrupted their bickering, her brown eyes furiously staring at him, her hands clenched together into fists next to her sides. Apparently the words had made their way through her body, leaving anger behind in every nerve of her so she stood now trembling in front of them.

"You..."

"Shh, Blythe. This is a private conversation between Patch and I." Clista held her hand up, silencing her, making her even more angry. "Like I was about to say before you so rudely interrupted me. I do have a hobby, it's worrying about my grandchildren."

"Find a hobby that involves getting laid." Patch winked, biting his bottom lip. "Get your old ass spanked."

"Now you mention spanking," Clista grinned at him. "Nora was going to lend me that Fifty thingies book."

"Fifty Shades?"

"You don't like it?"

"Nora read me a scene last weekend, she didn't even make it halfway through before she lay underneath me," He rolled his eyes, lifting his shoulders. "The role-playing was an adventure not to be missed. You get the picture. Seems Nora inherited more from her grandmother besides her beauty, brains, and winning personality" He winked at Clista.

"Maybe I want details."

"You are way too invested in our sex life, lady." Patch arched his eyebrow at her, shaking his head in amusement. "I'm getting out of here before you ask if you can join us."

"We all know you wouldn't be able to keep up with two Greys in your bed."

"Mom!" Harrison hid his face in his hands, shaking. "Please, stop talking like that."

As opposed to Blythe, Nora's father usually kept himself in the background, only appearing when his lovely wife commanded him to. Harrison has never felt the need to rub everything he thought about him into his face, he left that task to his wife or to his parents who gladly reminded him as to why he wasn't part of the family anymore, why Nora wasn't recognized anymore; because he took her down with him. They didn't seem to realize that he was never the one that chose to walk away from them, it was them who pushed him away, thereby guaranteeing the loss of Nora because long before then people knew where you would find one you would surely find the other, she would never let him leave and not follow.

"I'm embarrassing my son." Clista rolled her eyes at Harrison and turned back to him. "Doesn't he realize I did the nasty so he could be born?"

"This conversation is getting out of hand." Patch pouted his lips together. "I'm going now."

"Don't you dare forget about our brunch!"

"I would never do such a thing." He looked at her with mock offense. "Besides, I love my life too much."

Clista reached for him as he was about to turn around, squeezing him in her embrace for one last time, silencing Blythe who tried to open her mouth. Patch chuckled softly as he pulled away, placing a kiss on her wrinkled forehead. A few words were exchanged with Rixon and Vee before he stepped past her and disappeared through the door again, leaving a silence behind.

"Now you." Clista turned to Blythe, grabbing the woman's arm. "I have a few things to say to you."

Blythe tried to struggle her way out of Clista's grasp as she dragged her down the hallway, the memories of her and her grandchildren flashing through her thoughts. Patch coming home with an A for English for the first time in his life, unable to hide the satisfied grin on his face, Nora running after him into the kitchen to break the news to their grandmother. Rixon and Vee drawing on the wall, Patch and Nora watching them in horror, four pair of eyes widening as she walked into the room. Her four grandchildren in the pool while she lounged on the terrace, the teenage boys keeping themselves busy with the plastic ball, Nora bobbing around on the big crocodile, their parents nowhere in sight; they never were.

"First of all," she loosened her grip on Blythe's arm, staring daggers at the woman. "You do not make accusations like that against my boy in my house."

"He's not your boy." Blythe's brown eyes bored into hers. "He's the Cipriano's boy."

"Oh, please." Clista huffed, shaking her head. "Before I came along those boys were raised by nannies so don't you dare tell me that's not my boy."

"He ruined our family and you let him get away with it."

"You ruined your own family." Clista put her hands on her hips. "If you had known anything about your daughter, you'd have known she'd choose Patch. They've been choosing each other since she was five and discovered he was the one she could always count on instead of her own parents just like he said Blythe!"

"He put her up to it." Her brown eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. "She was barely eighteen years old, god knows what he promised her if she went with him."

"She went with him because he was the only person she could always count on." Clista spat, her body trembling with rage. "It wasn't you or Harrison like it should have been, it was always Patch who was there for her like I just told you. He's done an excellent providing a life for her that makes her very happy without promising her anything. Hell, you parents left them practically homeless and starving and he has built everything he has knowing she was still his responsibility when he didn't have to. When it should have been all of you! Nothing you can say or do will ever turn me on my boy or all he has done for my grand-baby. _He_ is what makes her happy and if you don't see that you've been blind as we knew you were for the last twenty years."

"Harrison runs a successful business and I have a very active social life." Blythe took a deep breath, composing herself. "It's only normal that we had less time for our children than regular people."

"My husband ran a successful business too, excuse me, he built up the successful business that Harrison now runs and he still found time to spend with his son." Clista turned away from her, straightening the curtains. "As for having a busy social life, I don't think organizing benefits and going to the spa with women who only want to borrow money from you should come between you and your children."

"I have a life!"

"You _bought_ yourself a life." Clista's hands clenched into fists. "You think you got it all and still you're not happy. Let's not even bring up why you were even married into the family or where you came from."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't you think I don't see what you're doing?" Clista threw her arms up, her eyes boring into Blythe's. "You claim you want nothing to do with Nora, but you can't leave her alone. Every time you see her, you have to make her miserable because _you_ can't let it go. Either step up and be the mother she deserved her whole life or get the hell out of it permanently, stop dragging her heart through the mud. Even at her age you know nothing about your own child, not even a hope or dream she has. Who do you think listens to all that and supports her and actively listens and is excited for every little bit of success she has in working hard for those dreams! Not you Blythe. _Never_ you."

"I lost my daughter." Blythe spat, clenching her fists like Clista had done before her. "And it's all because of that man-whore that couldn't keep his hands to himself."

"It's because you forced her to choose." Clista crossed her arms over her chest. "And you're not going to get Patch out of her life, he'll always be there and if you ever want a relationship with your daughter, you'll have to accept him. They will always be a package deal, they always were and always be in the future wither you like it or not. They are consenting adults and she is plenty capable of choosing what type of relationship with him she has. Patch never promised her a thing and tells her all the time she deserves better. What part of _she will always choose him_ is not sinking in?"

"At some point he's going to break her heart." Blythe shook her head, biting her lip. "And then she'll come back to us."

"He's not going to break her heart; I know it's hard for you to believe, but Patch loves her." Clista shrugged, keeping her arms folded in front of her chest. "He has loved her since they were little kids, they grew up as brother and sister for Christ's sake."

"That's exactly my point!" Blythe yelled, throwing her arms up. "She's sleeping with someone she sees as her brother."

"I know what you'll try to do and let me tell you something, it won't work." Clista chuckled, lifting her shoulders. "If you try to make Patch disappear out of her life, you won't just go up against Patch. You'll go up against Nora too because maybe it doesn't seem like it, but she's the strongest of the two, she's the one holding him up, and they haven't seen each other as brother and sister since before her school prom, and you saw them win that dance contest which was _anything_ but brotherly or sisterly, anyone with eyes could see that, their not blood related and both and are consenting adults like I pointed out. Had you and Harrison not interfered with Cipriano's by introducing him to that two timing, money hungry whore than you would have your daughter and they would have their son and more than likely they would have given each other the lives they both wanted and you would have ended up with very happily married children and grandchildren, not that you've done anything to deserve any that either."

"She's not going to ruin her life by waiting for someone who will never want her."

"You don't get it!" Clista's eyes burned with fire. "The only way Patch will disappear out of her life is if he chooses to and if you had ever been around long enough to know them or watch them together since the moment they first met, you would know by now that Patch won't leave her because she _IS_ his life just like Nora won't ever leave him for you because Patch is _HER_ life."

* * *

><p>"Jevvvviiiiiii!"<p>

"We talked about that nickname when you were twelve."

His midnight black eyes narrowed as they landed on her form sitting on the ground, her back resting against one of the wooden pillars in the open loft. Her bare legs lay stretched out in front of her, a set of black panties and one of his blue shirts the only thing covering her. The unbuttoned blue shirt showed her perfect flat stomach, the swell of her breasts, the beginning of her long throat. Her nipples peeked out from under the fabric as she brought the bottle of scotch to her lips.

"Great." He dropped his jacket on the ground, kicking it to the side. "You're drunk or in the process of getting drunk."

"Don't you like me when I'm drunk?"

"I always like you, Nora." He placed a kiss on top of her head, removing the watch from his wrist. "You're my Angel. Always have been, always will be."

They were words that would never be untrue. She'd always be his Angel because no other man would be able to top him, not in her eyes. He was damaged, he was aching and suffering, fighting the world on his own, fighting the memories of his broken heart. He'd heal at some point, she was sure of it; it would leave scars behind, but at some point in the future he'd smile again just because a new day had started and he was happy to wake up to it. But for now, he was at war with himself, his own fears his enemy. Nora would never let him enter that battlefield on his own; she'd be the army on his side, guiding him through the toughest battle of his life. But in the end the only one who would be able to defeat the opponent was him, and maybe then, when he was whole again, he'd use the confidence gained by that victory to become fully hers too.

"Do you remember the first time I got drunk?" She took a swig from the bottle, chuckling. "You were so mad at me."

"I wasn't mad because you got drunk." Patch looked down at her, grabbing the scotch out of her hands. "I was mad because I always told you to only get drunk when I was there to drive you home and protect you from hormonal drunk boys and the one time I'm not with you, you and Shadow decide to get wasted."

Even if her mind was clouded at the time, it was still a vivid memory. Her classmate's birthday party was supposed to go by without any alcohol; of course with no parental supervision, the boys had quickly found the hidden alcohol bottles. Shadow had been her date and dragged her into the drinking games with her, their fourteen-year-old selves hadn't known their limit and it didn't take long before they had to lean against each other to stay upright. Shadow's mother suddenly didn't seem like an option anymore to bring them home; instead she had a slurred phone conversation with Patch who appeared within five minutes, practically throwing them into his car. He carried them both upstairs, growling through their giggles, made sure they both had a bucket next to their side of the bed, placed aspirin and a glass of water on the nightstand and left them to vomit through the night. In the morning he made them both sit on the edge of the bed, yelling at them for being irresponsible little brats, Rixon and Vee had peaked inside the room, clearly amused with her and Shadow who had to suffer through his wrath with a hangover. Clista had watched the spectacle go down from in the doorway, content enough with Patch's lecture to not give her another one; she probably knew Patch was never going to let her forget about it.

"Still, you were hard on us."

"You learned your lesson." He sat down beside her, his arm resting against hers. "You were never drunk again without me there."

"Clista told my mother the next day, but she didn't care." She stared in front of her, seeing nothing. "She said if I had gotten raped it would have been my own fault."

"Your mother's a bitch." He frowned and put the bottle to his lips. "I have no idea why your father married her."

"Yes, you do." She averted her eyes to her lap, fumbling with her hands. "Everyone does."

The only way Blythe from the trailer park had been able to marry someone as wealthy as Harrison Grey was because she'd gotten him to sleep with her. After getting pregnant with his heir there was no other option for her father, but to marry the woman who had carried her. It was common knowledge in Coldwater Creek, yet no one spoke about it. Years later the whispered voices dared to repeat that event, her mother's round belly at the wedding, her birth only five months after her parents had said their vows. It had been a scandal, it still was today but it was never spoken out loud, still everyone knew about it.

"That was supposed to be my fight tonight," Her eyes searched for his, gray locking on black. "But instead you fought it for me."

"Ever since you were a little girl I've watched Blythe hurting you," He cupped her face in his palm, smiling softly. "She's not going to hurt you anymore, not on my watch."

She doesn't get it," Her voice broke, her head leaning into his touch. "You and me. No one gets it, not Bella, Shadow, not even Rixon and Vee, no one gets it."

"Do you get it?"

"Yes."

"That's all that matters."

He started shifting beside her, stretching his body on the floor, placing his head in her lap, his ebony eyes looking up at her, his lips reassuring her with a small smile. Her hand automatically found his hair, stroking through the black locks, her other hand firmly closed around the bottle of alcohol. It still surprised Nora how he could find comfort in the smallest touch, how he could spend hours in her arms just lying there, purring underneath her touch. Sex was, for most people, the way they could be closest to one another, their most intimate moments; it wasn't intimate when you shared it with everyone. Instead moments like these were their intimate moments, because no other woman got to hold Patch in her arms, talk to him for hours with his head in her lap, trace the lines on his face with her fingertips. They were perfectly content with it, these moments between them, staring at each other, exchanging words without really speaking them, reacting to just the smile on the others face, the sigh that escaped someone's lips, the fingers that suddenly stopped moving; it was strange but yet comforting to have a connection with someone, running so deep that neither of you knew where one started and the other ended.

They always lost track of time when their eyes were locked, their souls connected, their hearts beating in the same pace; two persons bared open, sharing everything with the other one. He was broken but she was here to mend the pieces, she was incomplete, but he was there to fill every hole in her heart. They were each others lifeline, one death killing two people; its how she knew there would never be any other man in her life. He was made for her and she had been born to spend her life next to him; he wasn't ready to take on that position yet, but that didn't mean that she hadn't already taken hers. Someday he'd stop aching and he'd have won the battles with his demons and finally she would be able to spend the rest of her life in the midnight sky where so many women had lost their way in, but she had learned how to fly to the stars.

"Clista packed our desserts." He pressed his cheek into her stomach. "It's chocolate cake."

"Poor you. You must be starving." She smiled down at him, amused as he rolled his eyes. "Do you want me to make you something?"

"No thank you." He chuckled, the sound warming her heart. "Food poisoning isn't on my agenda this year."

"I can make a perfectly good sandwich." She slapped his shoulder in mock annoyance. "Do you want one?"

"I think I'm going to eat my dessert." He sat up, looking at her over his shoulder. "Just to annoy you."

She stuck her tongue out and watched him get up from the floor, gracefully, as always. In comparison to Angelo, Gianni and Rixon, he had never been the typical growing teenage boy. His body had never consisted out of baby fat, he'd always been toned, hard, muscled, the muscles growing together with him. While Rixon and his friends still had their round baby faces, he already had a hard jaw, more manly than boyish, barely working for his perfectly sculpted physique. She had never really noticed it, enduring her friends' endless talks about how perfect he really was, how lucky she was to have the hottest guy in town as her best friend. She'd known he was more handsome than his friends and Rixon, that girls ogled him more than other boys; but at the age of twelve, he was just Patch, the one that helped her do her homework and tucked her in at night and the one she still called on when those night terrors hit so he could come comfort her and she could sleep feeling safe wrapped in his arms.

When she turned sixteen, she finally got it. One day she looked up at him and caught herself staring at his lips, lost in the contour of them, imagining them soft and warm against her own. In the morning she used to press herself firmer against him, knowing his morning wood would press into her bottom; it made her wonder how he'd feel inside of her, how dark his blue eyes would be as he hovered above her. He'd wake up groggy, snuggling deeper into her neck, breathing in her scent; until he noticed what was going on down there and excused himself, disappearing into the bathroom. She'd stay on the bed, waiting for him to emerge, dreaming of the beads of water running down those glorious abs, her hands wandering over his sides to his hips, her lips traveling over his smooth back. When he walked back in she had to hide the red blush on her cheeks, trying not to stare as he had only a white towel draped low around his hips. He'd sit down on the edge of the bed, looking at her over his shoulder as she still lay stretched out, enjoying the view. A smile would come across his features as he stared at her and her heart would jump in joy, realizing that he still saw her as that innocent little girl he first met, the one that first didn't want anything to do with him and later jumped in the mud with him; it didn't matter to her though, whatever she was to him, she knew she'd always be his Angel.

"I know something else you could eat." Nora came up behind him, sliding her hands under his shirt. "Me."

"I see the alcohol is kicking in, making you brave and all..." Patch turned around in her arms, a smug smile on his face. "It's a good thing I know you're tasty."

"I just really want to keep you away from my desserts."

"Mission accomplished."

A giggle escaped her as he went for her ass, his fingers digging into her skin, he bit his bottom lip, his brilliant eyes scanning over her face, clearly enjoying what he saw. She grabbed the collar of his gray shirt and pulled him against her, her lips finding their spot against his, their tongues quickly entwining, curling around each other, wetting the others flesh. Her body moved against his like a snake, curling into his touch, reveling in the way his mouth moved over hers, hard, firm, warm, tasting like his nirvana.

"I think you're overdressed for this party." Nora breathed against his lips, her dove eyes flickering dangerously. "If you're not dressed appropriately in the next ten seconds, I'll have to spank you."

"I'm sorry, miss. I had no idea there was a dress code." He pouted, brushing his nose over her lips. "Please inform me."

"It was on your invitation, Mister Cipriano."

"I'm afraid I lost it." He squeezed her buttocks tightly, smirking. "Maybe you could help me look for it."

"I might have an idea where it is."

"Do you?"

Nora pulled him with her by his shirt, pushing herself up on the kitchen counter, the cold wood pressing against her thighs. She reached for him with her legs, her feet hooking behind his hips so she could pull him closer to her, his front pressing against the wooden counter, his waist secured between her legs. She laid down across the counter, the blue shirt falling open, exposing her naked chest to him, his eyes darkening, her panties getting wetter.

"I suggest you start somewhere up here," She pointed her finger from her mouth to her soaked black panties. "And end somewhere down there."

A dangerous glint passed his eyes as he slowly slid over her body, crawling on top of her, his hot breath teasing her nipples as he slowly made his way over her skin, his lips hovering barely an inch above her hot flesh. He gently bit her chin as he reached her head, his body draped over hers, pressing into all the right places. His nose brushed her lips, her cheeks, the spots under her eyes, her nose, her forehead, slowly driving her crazy for his touch. It was a game; he lowered his head, meeting her expectant lips against his, then right before his mouth touched hers, he pulled back, letting her crave more. She writhed underneath him, every time he pulled back driving her more insane, needing his touch more; at some point a hiss escaped her as he pulled away again, her fists clenching besides her, her nails digging into the wooden countertop. He chuckled, the mischief visible in his eyes, his arms stretching beside her until suddenly he moved his right arm and cleaned the counter beside them, making plates shatter on the ground, forks and knifes flying across the room.

"You'll have to clean that up."

"You'll have to buy new plates."

"I'll have to borrow your credit card."

"Make sure to drop by Victoria's Secret while you have it."

With more force than intended she smashed her lips back against his, effectively shutting him up. A deep growl rose up from somewhere in his chest, his tongue sliding against her white teeth, his hands wandering over her bare stomach and glorious abs, bulge in his pants pushing against her pubic bone with his every thrust. Her palms found his stomach, her fingers tracing his six-pack, every muscle separately. She spread her legs wider to accommodate him, her bare skin rubbing against his jeans, her temper rising up at the amount of clothes he was still wearing.

"You're still wearing that damn shirt."

"I still haven't found my invitation."

"Then you'd better get to it."

Nora started shoving him down by his shoulders, her arms pushing as hard as they could, growls of irritation making him chuckle as he slowly took his time to kiss her skin everywhere. Her arms fell limp beside her as she gave up, the alcohol kicking in, making her body feel numb and on fire at the same time. She arched off the counter top as Patch's mouth closed around her pebbled nipple, his hand squeezing her other breast just hard enough, the sensations rushing straight to her stomach and down to her aching core. Clearly, he found the whole situation amusing, his bright eyes twinkled, his teeth gently nibbling and sucking on her nipple, knowing it would drive her crazy.

"You're risking your best friend card here." Nora breathed heavily, staring daggers at him. "Just fuck me already!"

"What about that invitation?"

"Fuck the invitation!" She screamed, her legs kicking against the wood beneath her. "Fuck me!"

"Impatient little thing you are."

Her whole body was trembling, aching for his touch, her skin wanting to press every one of her pores against every one of his, her hands itching to touch him, to dig her nails into his skin. The heat between her legs seemed to increase every second, her entrance burning on the edges, eager to be filled. She was ready to combust, explode into a pile of ashes and he was taking his sweet time with getting off of her and standing back on his feet, his eyes scanning over her burning body. When he finally reached for her panties she lifted her hips up, her impatience getting the best of her. Her legs fell open in front of him, offering herself up as his meal, needing him to take advantage of her. Moisture dripped down her thighs, her slit glistening, her little bundle of nerves throbbing, her whole body begging.

"I once saw someone milk a cow; I think about the same amount of liquid came out of the udder."

"Who the hell got you on a farm?"

"It was on television."

"That makes more sense."

Patch bent down, his lips closing around her pink flesh, his tongue dipping inside her wet heat. He traced the tip of his tongue over both of her lips, searching his way to her swollen clit, the sensation growing in her belly, her hips arching off the surface beneath her. An amused chuckle came from him as he heard her moans escape, his hand coming to rest on her stomach, holding her down as he thrust one finger into her core. Once she had thought it was the most disgusting thing ever, his lips covered with her juices, his tongue licking her out, his nose buried between her folds; then one night he practically forced her to let him do it, saying she'd love every second of it, and she did. His warm mouth around her clit made her reach points she thought she could never get to; it was exactly what was happening, throwing her head from side to side, her fists pounding against the wood, her hips fighting against his hand on her stomach, the tension building in her belly, her breasts feeling heavier than ever, her core ready to explode until, it did.

Nora lay panting in front of him, her eyes fluttering, her chest going up and down with heavy breaths while his eyes roamed over her chest, his fingers going for the hem of his shirt, pulling it to his head, inch by inch unveiling the abs that hid beneath it. Her gray melting eyes opened wider again as Patch stood shirtless in front of her, her hands reaching out to touch him, her elbows pushing her up until she sat up in front of him, his waist encircled by her legs. She put her hands flat against his chest, reveling in the feel of his skin against hers, her eyes drinking him in, her breathing coming back to normal. He shuddered as she placed her mouth around his nipple, sucking gently, her palms gliding to his back, pulling him closer to her, her ankles hooking behind his butt. She gave one last tug on his nipple and slipped her tongue out, licking and dipping her way down to his to his naval, her fingers tracing the line of hair that started there and disappeared into his jeans. Her fingers fumbled with the clasp of his belt, quickly separating the two ends so she could pull his zipper down. His cock sprung out as she started pushing his jeans down, the glorious limb standing up for her.

"Someone's happy to see Mommy." She grabbed the base of his penis, nursing it softly. "Did you miss me?"

"Why do you always talk to my penis?"

"It's my form of dirty talk."

Nora divided the pre-cum over his head, circling her thumb over his tip, making him drive his hips into the circle of her legs. She hopped off the kitchen, pushing him back so she could get down on her knees, licking slowly over the length of his cock. He twitched as she closed her lips around him, bringing him deeper, swallowing all of him until he was completely buried in her mouth and throat. Patch threw his head back, his fingers digging into her hair, holding her skull; she gently pulled back and let his head plop out of her mouth, then casually she took him back into it, repeating the process, driving him crazier, his breathing heavier, his teeth biting his bottom lip.

"I think it's time to take you up on your invitation," Patch breathed hoarsely, fighting his climax. "And fuck you senseless."

Nora practically jumped up and removed the shirt that was now sticking to her sweat-clad back. He kicked off his jeans that pooled around his ankles and waiting for her to be spread out on the counter top again, his erection throbbing, his balls tightening. He grabbed her calves and pulled her bottom to the edge, putting one of her legs on each of his shoulders. He took his length in his hands and moved it up and down her slit, using her juices as a lube, his penis sliding up and down her folds, bumping against her clit. Nora threw her head back, hearing the condom wrapper being opened, Patch's length disappearing for a second from her body until suddenly rubber pushed against her entrance, thrusting in to the hilt with one stroke.

Her nails scratched the counter top, Patch thrusting into her at the pace of a desperate man, desperate for release. She felt her walls warming around him again, her little bundle ready to explode again. His mouth fell open, sweat drops running down his skin, his eyes fluttering, his breathing heavy. He bit into her knee, fucking her hard, his balls slamming against her skin with every stroke; the pool started building up in her belly again, the sensations spreading through her at the speed of a swerving car. A grunt escaped him, his thrusts speeding up, his erection swelling inside of her, her walls tightening around him, pulsing, waiting for the little bundle's release. Moans fell off her lips, growls rope from deep inside of his chest, little tingles suddenly spread through her slit and then waves of pleasure crashed over her.

Three strokes later he tumbled over the edge while she was still milking him dry, pulsing around him, his erection caught in her canal. He panted, his knees wobbling, his hands slowly helping her legs off his shoulders. He stepped forward and dropped down between her legs, his head resting on her breasts, his head going up and down with every rise of her chest, the sweat on their skins mingling, the smell of sex surrounding them.

"I hate the effect alcohol has on you."

"Shut up." Nora smacked his back, giggling. "You love it."

"If I hadn't been so damn hard I would have made you beg on your knees." Patch placed a kiss between her breasts, snuggling his nose in there. "We both know you'd have done it."

"I know that you're comfortable on top of me." She shifted underneath him, stroking his hair. "But I'm really not comfortable under you."

"You usually don't complain about that." He started moving off of her, his feet on the ground. "Maybe it's because you're tipsy and you get all feminist when you are."

Nora rolled her eyes in annoyance and got up, taking her panties and shirt along with his clothes from the ground. He walked in front of her, his bare ass waggling as he walked up the plateau to the bedroom. She pulled his belt from his jeans and walked after him, dropping the clothes on the bed, watching him stand in front of the closet. When his full attention was focused on the closet, she pulled the belt back and let it collide with the flesh of his ass, making him jump up, his cheeks now slightly pink.

"I told you I'd spank you if you weren't dressed appropriately in the next ten seconds." She giggled, holding the belt teasingly in her hand. "Besides, I always wanted to do it."

"Do that one more time and you'll end up screaming underneath me." Patch pointed his finger at her, warning her with his eyes. "That's a promise."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"I didn't mean that kind of screaming."

Nora yelped as he tackled her to the bed, his fingers tickling her sides, his laugh echoing through the room, her own laugh joining his. It was a carefree moment, away from all the worries, the smile on his face lightening the room, lightening her world. She writhed underneath him, fighting for air, her laughs turning into screams, his eyes shimmering in joy, an image she savored so much. He let go of her, his legs still straddling her waist, his eyes boring into hers; she couldn't imagine any man more beautiful, more perfect than he was, a devil and an angel hiding in one body, a heart and soul made for hers hiding in it, she couldn't imagine ever loving someone else.

"I think you're bad for my love life."

"I'm pretty sure of it." Patch cupped her face in his hands, brushing his lips over hers. "Do you want that to change?"

"No. Never." Nora wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I'm so glad I met you, Patch. I'd never change that."

"You know nothing would have changed between us if I had married Dabria, right?"

"Everything would have changed between us, Patch." She smiled sadly, trying to comfort him by hugging him closer. "We were already growing apart when you got engaged."

"Dabria was jealous of you, so so jealous." He whispered into her ear, watching shock cross her face. "When I asked her why she cheated on me she said it was my fault because she'd always come second to you."

"Patch..."

"You want to know my secret?" His voice was hoarse, his eyes burning into hers. "I'd be lonely without you."

"Then you'll never be lonely." She blinked her eyes against the tears, a small smile on her face as she hugged him. "Because I'll always be right here with you."

"You always were territorial." Patch chuckled softly into her neck, his breath tickling her skin. "Like a puppy."

"You're lucky I didn't pee around you to mark my territory."

She bit into his ear, doing her best puppy growl. He snickered, shaking his head in amusement; his laughter made her realize how naked they were, their skins rubbing against each other, yet completely comfortable. That's how it had always been, his arms were safe, her safety net that shielded her from the world, the embrace that would soothe her as thunder rumbled above Clista's house and she ran into his room, quickly slipping under the covers into his arms. That's how it had started, then there were tummy aches because of her periods, then it was nightmares and at some point she didn't need any excuses anymore because he seemed to have accepted that he had to share his bed with her.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" She tangled her fingers through his dark locks. "You were pulling my ponytail."

"And a few years later you were pulling mine." He placed a kiss behind her ear, grinning. "I remember and I also remember the day we became friends."

"It was at a benefit and I was hiding under the table because I was bored, then you noticed me there and came to sit with me." She bit her bottom lip to hold back her laughter, the fond memories rushing through her head. "You said it would pass faster if we made out."

"You slapped me." Patch pushed himself up on his elbow, stretched out next to her. "It was so cute."

"You had a crush on me."

"I had a crush on anything that had boobs or was in the process of developing them."

"For some reason I liked you." She shook her head, staring up at him. "I still remember the look on Clista's face when I asked her if you could come over to play.

"She didn't like me so much back then."

"And now you're her favorite."

"I still can't believe she just took me and Rixon under her wings like that." He pushed a lock of hair back behind her ear. "I could never respect that woman more than I do now."

"I think it was because you were always with me and we pushed Vee and Rixon together because otherwise they were always with us." She chuckled, burying her face against his shoulder. "She noticed things at your place were exactly the same as at mine so she just took you two in like she did with us."

"Yeah, that was far enough down memory lane." Patch placed a kiss on top of her head, his eyes filling with something she couldn't read. "It's time for bed."

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Nora got up and pulled the covers back, watching him do the same on the other side. "I'm going to class and after that I'm meeting Vee."

"I have a meeting in the morning." He slipped under the covers, fluffing his pillow. "Where are you going with Vee?"

"First lunch and then ring shopping." She pulled the covers over her, nodding. "Scott proposed to her, we're going to look at rings."

"Wow." He stared in front of him, shaking his head. "Brave man."

"Yeah, I know. It just seems so weird, they're a good couple," she turned on her side, slipping her arms under her pillow. "But some things are just weird about them."

"Like what?"

"They have secrets, it's the strangest thing I've ever heard."

"Not everyone's like us." Patch shrugged indifferently, staring at the ceiling. "We're like: hey, I have to poop, hand me a magazine."

"Only you do that." Nora smacked his shoulder, rolling her eyes at him. "But even besides that, most of the time Vee tells him he can't call because she needs space and he only calls her every three days."

"Weird." He pouted his lips together, turning his head to her. "I call you three times a day."

"Exactly." She sighed, lifting her shoulders. "I don't think they're ready for marriage."

"It's their life, Angel. It's not our job to interfere with it." He turned on his side, facing her. "Talking about this marriage stuff, I've been thinking; you should move in."

"What?"

"I said you should move in." Patch spoke the words slowly, smiling. "Like here, in the apartment where you practically already are every second of the day."

"You sure?" Nora eyed him suspiciously, looking for any signs of doubts. "What if you bring a girl here?"

"Well, we share girls now too so that's not a problem." He waggled his eyebrows at her, smirking. "Besides, I can go to the girl's place instead of coming here."

"I was just kidding." He rolled his eyes, shuffling closer to her. "I mean it, just move in here and you won't have to pay rent anymore with Bella and Shadow so maybe you could save some money for a car or to travel or whatever you want to do with it."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Great, we'll pick your stuff up tomorrow." He closed his eyes, snuggling his nose into the pillow. "Now that's settled, go to sleep."

"Goodnight, Patch."

"Goodnight."

Nora placed a kiss on top of his head and turned around, pushing her bare back against his bare chest. He draped his arm over her waist and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent. His hand found her breast, his thumb moving in circles over her nipple, slowly, knowing it would get her to sleep. He quickly heard her breathing even out, her body relaxing and melting into his. He quickly heard her breathing even out, her body relaxing and melting into his. He sighed and tightened his hold on her.


	17. Chapter 17 -THE CONSEQUENCES OF FIGHTING

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO BECCA FITZPATRICK**_

_**WARNING: I AM NEITHER A MEDICAL OR LEGAL PROFESSION SO ANYTHING NOT REALISTIC IN REGARDS TO THOSE FIELDS IS ASSUMED TO BE A PART OF THE STORY. I AM NOT GIVING LEGAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE SO IT'S JUST A PART OF THE STORY PLEASE DON'T FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME I HAVE NO ATTENTIONS OF PURSUING EITHER FIELDS OF STUDY :)**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 17<strong>_

_**THE CONSEQUENCES OF FIGHTING**_

Patch and Nora rarely fought when they did it was a huge one. Later Patch wouldn't remember what the fight was about but he remembered his last words to Nora before slamming the door on her as she cried and begged him not to go out. She asked where he was going and he replied "to get laid". That's not what he had done he had gone to Clista's to seek comfort from the only other woman who really knew him and could comfort him when he felt so low for fighting with Nora in the first place. After a while he got up and said good night to the lady who was as much his grandma as hers and headed back home. It was late, really late when he arrived and turned the key in the door hoping that Nora would forgive him one more time. She knew he was far from perfect and far from being an angel unless you considered him a fallen angel but somehow she was the one person no matter what he did she was always there. He could count on her and he knew that to the depth of his heart and soul but it didn't stop the fear after losing Dabria that he would lose her too and then his life would be over, she was his life line after all, his rock, he just couldn't lose her.

What he walked into was an empty apartment. He had a bad feeling about this so first thing he did was check the wardrobe and bathroom but no her stuff was all still there.

"You look like you can use a drink."

"Tristan."

"Hello Nora." He sat down next to her on the stool. "How are you doing?"

"I think I'm living the worst day of my life." She spun the glass between her fingers. "Have you ever had a dream where you know you're dreaming but you just can't wake up?"

"Yes."

"I wish today was a dream like that."

"Boy trouble?" He let his cheek rest in the palm of his hand. "He's an idiot if he let you go."

"I'm in all kinds of trouble." She looked down at the glass of bourbon in her hands. "But yeah, boy trouble is one of them."

"Did he break your heart?"

She looked up into his green eyes and found herself lost in them, the alcohol in her bloodstream making her brave. This was a man who she had met once, forced by her parents into a dinner she though would include her sister, it had been a shame they both had to live through before Patch showed up and rescued the day. This man was nothing like Patch, he'd do the honorable thing, buy her a drink and find her a cab to get home safely, he'd ask her out for dinner before he took her to his bachelor pad, he wouldn't walk out on her if they got into a fight, he wouldn't go find sex somewhere else to forget about his worries. He'd stay with her and comfort her, talk through the fight and make love to her, he'd whisper those three little words into her ear when the time was right and she knew that's what she'd been craving all along. Those three little words of love spoken to her, making her all tingly on the inside and making her float on a cloud; it's what she had always wanted ever since she was a teenager. But she had never gotten it because she fell in love with a man who was hurt, scarred, maybe beyond repair and she was hurting along with him, his pain reflecting in her every emotion because she was bound to him in a way she could never be bound to anyone else. They were one soul, mind and heart, if one was hurting, the other was too, if one was dying, the other would crumble too. That didn't mean that she didn't crave that feeling of being treasured unconditionally, that she didn't picture a golden ring around her finger. Those cravings were there, buried beneath the surface because she knew she'd never get to them with the man she wanted to; she was left alone in those dreams, aching for them to come true.

"It's not broken... it's just... aching."

"Why do you let him hurt you?"

"Because I can't imagine my life without him." She wiped a tear away from her cheek, taking a swig from her glass. "Every day I wake up next to him and I think I have to get away from this...and then he wakes up and he looks at me and smiles and I just... can't walk away."

"You don't have to stay with him, Nora." Tristan took her hand in his, squeezing it softly. "You don't owe him anything."

"That's just the thing," she whispered, her eyes searching for his. "I do."

Words had never been more heavy, she owed him because she took away his happiness, found out Dabria was cheating on him and brought that news to him. The truth was that she had looked for anything that could stop the wedding, she had followed Dabria everywhere, traced her every step and when she did find something it was one of the most happiest days of her life because she couldn't watch her friend walk down the aisle, not with someone on his arm that was not her and that did not love him the way she loved him. She still remembered the look on his face as she told him what she found out, how his eyes had found hers, filled with disbelief, the pictures she had taken making his skin pale, his fists rippling the paper. He had sprinted out of the room without saying a word and she'd been left in her room, waiting next to the phone, thinking he never would say another word to her. And then her bedroom door had flown open, Patch stepping in her room, his whole composure a mess, his eyes filled with tears; she'd opened her arms and he walked into them, sobbing into her shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. It had been the worst and most happiest day of her life because he was hers again and she could love him freely again, not having to worry about some other woman's affections claiming him. So when he pulled his head out of her shoulders and locked their eyes, she moved forward and pushed her lips against his, feeling him gasp into her mouth, his fingers digging into her skin, his body wanting to hide in hers. It had been a month since the night of her prom and she had never forgotten how he felt inside of her, she had never stopped craving to have that feeling again and now he was here, answering her lips desperately, like he'd die if he didn't savor every part of her. She knew he held onto her because he didn't want to think about the things in his life, she knew it and she didn't care. Because it wasn't awkward like the first time, it was passionate, consuming, earth-shattering, needy; and it ruined her.

"What do you mean?" Tristan arched his eyebrow at her. "Why do you owe him?"

"I took his happiness from him." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "And now he's not the man he used to be anymore because he's in pain and he's betrayed and I can't fix it."

"I'm sure he doesn't blame you."

"That's the worst part, he doesn't." She looked back to the bottom of her glass and sighed. "Why are you here?"

"I live upstairs." He pointed to the ceiling, smiling a bit. "I come here for my nightcap."

"I'm sure you weren't looking for a dramatic drunk to spill her life story to you." She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry for keeping you up."

"I don't mind." He held his hand up, shaking his head. "Actually, the bar's about to close but we could move this conversation to my apartment."

"Sure."

"Isn't there someone waiting for you at home**?"**

"He walked out." She lifted her shoulders, grabbing her bag. "That's why I had to get out too."

Tristan nodded and threw a bill on the bar, paying for both their drinks. They walked out of the bar and he opened a door next to the entrance, revealing a small set of stairs. They quietly climbed it until they reached a small corridor; while he fumbled with his keys she watched him and noticed he was tall, skinny but handsome, light hair, green eyes, small lips, he was everything Patch wasn't.

"Tristan?"

"Yeah?"

He didn't get the chance to say anything more as she slammed her lips into his and went for the buttons of his shirt, her fingers quickly loosening the first few. He hesitated a few seconds before he answered her mouth, his hands coming to rest on her hips, pulling her against him. Patch wasn't mad at her and he wasn't out fucking some other girl, he wasn't hiding the pain with sex like he always did, he was here in her arms.

"Nora." Tristan panted, pushing her back a little. "When I asked you to come up I didn't mean..."

"I know."

Patch could escape from pain when he was inside of someone, when his only focus was reaching pleasure. He had taught her how to wear a mask and she was now about to learn how to escape from pain like he did. It was meaningless and it would take her away from everything, it had only one goal and it had only one outcome; running away from her aching heart. And she could have told herself all night that Patch was in her arms if the ring tone she had for him wouldn't be ringing out of her bag, if she hadn't known that he had come home and was now out looking for her. Things would have been different if she had been able to keep her eyes closed and picture his black ones on the other side, but Patch wasn't here now, he was on the other side of her phone trying to reach her, only Tristan's green eyes were here now.

"Are you going to get that?"

"Where the hell have you been?"

She remembered nights like these when she'd tried to sneak upstairs until suddenly a small lamp in the living room would light up, revealing Patch sitting in the chair like some creep out of a horror movie, chuckling as she jumped up, startled. After sending him a death glare, she'd walk towards him, carrying her high heels in her arms, her feet aching from wearing them all night. He'd shuffle in his seat so she could plop down into his lap, curling her legs against her chest, resting her ear against his heartbeat. They'd sit there in silence, listening to the wooden floors crackle, watching the sunrise through the window as dawn settled in the early morning. His fingers would run through her curls, his lips pressing occasionally against her forehead, as the songbirds outside announced another peaceful morning.

But nothing about this morning was peaceful. Black eyes blazing, spread wide open with anger. Lips tightly pressed together, forming a hard-line. Muscles flexed, jaw clenched. Fists holding her biceps, leaving red marks on her skin. She'd have told him he was hurting her if she hadn't been nailed to the ground by his rage, rendering her speechless.

"Where were you?" His eyes bored into hers, teeth clenched. "I've been out looking for you all night."

He spat the words at her like they held venom and she felt them seeping into her body through every vein and vessel, sinking to the bottom of her heart, filling the space with guilt. But her heart wasn't the only thing guiding her; in her mind she could still see him walking out the door, his back turned to her, leaving her behind to drown in her own pool of misery. She had talked herself into being strong, the brave girl he taught her to be, someone who was independent; the woman he brought her up to be, the one that could co-exist next to him, that could tear herself away from him to find consolation in another man's arms. That girl, woman, sister and lover was doing the walk of shame for the first time in her life.

"Nora!"

"I was out fucking!"

She pulled her arms free as his grip faltered; his eyes widened before they narrowed again, his mouth parting slightly, the hard features in his face fading away. She could see the turmoil in his eyes, the emotions rushing through that night sky like shooting stars; disbelief, shock, disappointment, worry, suspicion, contempt, anger; until he finally settled on one, disgust. Another man, other hands, had touched his girl, wandering down her body, exploring her curves. He was no longer the single soul that had touched the intimate parts of her; they were now covered with another man's sweat.

"I need a shower."

"Yes!" He threw his arms in the air, following her to the bathroom. "Try to wash your sins away."

"There's not enough soap in the world to wash yours away!" She rounded on him, stopping him in his tracks, fists clenched next to her sides. "So don't you _dare_ judge me."

She turned around as he seemed to swallow his next words. A low growl escaped her chest as she heard him stomp behind her on the platform, catching the door of the bathroom mid-swing as she tried to slam it in his face. Instead of arguing with him, she pulled her shirt over her head and ignored the burn of his eyes gliding up and down her skin while she undressed herself, like he was checking if his goods were still intact.

He didn't move out of the room as she got into the shower, instead closing the lid of the toilet and sitting down on it. Nora let the beads of water fall down on her, rinsing away the dirty feeling. It was all she could feel; Tristan's lips on hers, her nipples pressing into his chest, his palms gliding over her bare hips, his hands squeezing her buttocks, his cock inside of her. It had felt so different from all the times with Patch, no emotions involved, no existing friendship or feelings. She was gone in the morning before he woke up. She didn't even feel guilty about it; it hadn't meant anything and that was exactly why her body now felt dishonored.

"Please tell me you used a condom."

"I'm not as much of an idiot as you think I am." She turned her head to him, watching him through the shower glass. "We used a condom, Patch."

"It's we now, is it?" He pushed the shower door open, standing in it. "What's your other half's name?"

"Why do you care?"

"So I know who to sue for alimony when you turn out to be knocked up."

"We used a condom!" She angrily grabbed the bottle of shampoo and squeezed some into her hand. "Besides, I'm on birth control."

"Yes, I know how good you are with birth control." He laughed a hard chuckle, shaking his head. "You'd forget it half of the time if I didn't shove it in your face every morning."

"It was not my idea to get on it," she washed her hair, her fingers digging into her skull. "Remember when I was seventeen and you took me to a gynecologist because you thought I should have a check-up even though I'd never had sex? And then you said I should get on the pill in case it happened with Scott or Dante?"

"I read on the internet that every girl should visit a gynecologist when she's about sixteen year's old, just to make sure she's healthy." His eyes went wide, his fist gripping the handle of the door. "I did that for your own good. And by the way, Clista agreed with me."

"You talked with Clista about my vagina?"

"No, I shared that information with you from my experience with the gynecologist when I talked to him and asked him questions about my period!" He rolled his eyes at her, frustration audible in his voice. "I don't have a vagina. I don't know what to do with it!"

"Save it, Patch. It was just an excuse to get me on birth control," She rubbed her hair between her palms. "So you knew you'd be safe when you fucked me a few months later."

"Hold on for a minute, pissy missy." He pointed his finger at her, cocking his head to the side. "You called me that morning because you wanted me to come back for you and fuck you. Will it hurt Patch? What if he doesn't know what he's doing? What if he doesn't fit inside of me?"

That hurt. He was using her own personal fears she would and could only share with him against her, that she had shared with the only thought in her head at the time was that all she really wanted for it to be him and not a fuck but for him to make love to her, to actually love her and not as a sister. She felt the sting in her eyes grateful for the shower water hiding her face.

The way he mimicked her tone from that morning made her boil on the inside. She squeezed the shampoo bottle in her hand to stop herself from directing her anger at him, keeping her eyes turned away from his so he couldn't see the pain that flashed through them. To make matters worse it was like he was mocking a night she had treasured with heart and soul, one of the most important nights of her life, because she had finally become his; his mark left inside of her, their love concealed, and she wasn't just his sister anymore. Not to mention saving her from becoming another notch on that hideous Dante's bedpost and her humiliation about him actually having a back up date. And the fact that he was right made her all the more angry. She had called him that morning, knowing exactly how many hours it would take him to get back to her. That didn't mean that she'd ever dared to hope he'd come back to take her to a nice hotel and make them one; that scenario had only existed in her dreams until he'd shown up behind her.

"Why did you even bother to show up?" Nora shook her head at herself, her back to him. "If you regret it so much now then why did you even bother to show up?"

"I never said I regretted it." He lowered the tone of his voice, less angry than seconds ago. "It was bound to happen. I'm just glad you were of age or Blythe would have sued my ass."

"What do you mean?" She spun around, locking her eyes onto his. "It was bound to happen?"

Seeing that raging fire in her eyes and the set and clenched jaw he knew he had gone too far again. He had always loved her fire and spunk but not her rage. Her rage and stubbornness made for bad choices and he had clearly just pushed her as far as she had been. His mouth snapped shut as his mind sped through ways to fix this quickly before she did something else she might regret or worse he would or they both might regret, but it looked to him like for now there wasn't a way out that he would just have to pray once again that she would eventually show him the mercy and love that he knew he didn't deserve. That undying, constant support and love and even admiration that only she had ever shown him. This was bad, this was very bad. He could feel it in the depths of his soul, it tore a hole through the only part of his heart he had left. He had pushed his only constant to far this time. As if that weren't enough there was something else, fear? Terror? A sixth sense?

Nora was fuming after what he said and how he had judged her. She had never been with any other man while she lost count years ago of how many women he had been with. She had to get out of there and fast. Yanking the brush through her long hair and dressing quickly she was going for a drive. That should help her calm down and give them both time to clear their heads. She knew in her heart neither of them had meant it and they would move on from this she just couldn't lose him he WAS her life without him she would die there would be no Nora left she had not known a moment without him let alone a moment of not loving him and she knew he felt the same for her aside from the head over heels do anything for love. Yes a drive was definitely what she needed before more could be said and the damage unfix-able. That would end both their lives as they were so tangled together to end one would be to end the other. What kept them alive at all was each other without that there was no life.

Patch watched her get ready as quick as he had ever seen and she could be fast when running late. He had caused this but he didn't want to even think of another man even so much as shaking her hand let alone touching her body. It was HIS and only he knew everything about it. They had done just about anything you could do together sexually without causing one or both pain. He had brought out that minx he knew was hiding in her that first night and he had loved every minute of it. He had allowed her to feel freedom in her sexuality, to embrace it, just not with another man. Never with another man. The only thing they hadn't done was involve another man or get into masochistic stuff. He would never bring her pain, he wasn't the type of guy who got off on that, but they had even dabbled in bdsm minus the pain, that went beyond both their pleasure. He knew her body, every centimeter of it and its limits. He knew how to bring her to nirvana and back down to earth with the ease of a feather that no one else would ever match and never had he entertained the idea he would make her mad enough to get drunk and let her body be touched by someone else who would never deserve her. Nora was an angel, _his_ goddess to worship and as selfish as it may be he hadn't ever really wanted her to find another man or prince charming with the happy ever after. No, to be perfectly honest he was selfish and thinking of himself in that moment and he hadn't even really gone to get laid at all but the result made her do the one thing he thought her incapable of. He knew she deserved the life she wanted that he could never give her but he couldn't stop the selfishness and protectiveness he felt with her.

Nora stomped to the door and before heading out spun back on Patch.

"Just so you know, it was the most disgusting and disappointing not to mention humiliating thing I have ever done or experienced and after doing some of the things we have done that's saying a lot."

And with that she slammed the door leaving a stunned Patch speechless. He tried and tried calling her but she had shut her phone off. There was that bad feeling again only this time it harbored on full-blown panic as if he knew something bad was going to happen. So he did what he knew best he gathered his best bottles of Bourbon and drank himself into a slumber which didn't take that much this time since he hadn't had any sleep last night at all worrying about her since she had never been missing a whole night, she always answered at least his calls or texts and he always had known where she was at all times, except last night. On any other given day he could drink like a fish and not get drunk but not this night.

Suddenly someone banging loudly on the door woke him they were screaming for Nora. He sleepily looked at the clock and it read 3 am. Nora had to be back by now and was probably in his bed curled up to let him sleep it off. So who the fuck was banging and pounding on his door at this hour for her? With his headache and sleepiness he didn't recognize the voice on the other side of the door as he made his way to it.

"Bella?" Patch narrowed his eyes, rubbing sleep out of them. "What are you doing here?"

"There's been an accident, _please _tell me that Nora is here with you, that this is all a horrible nightmare!" She stuttered through her sobs, barely audible.

Bella was one of Nora's best friends. She was one of the girls that he had helped look after when they were younger. They hadn't liked each other much then and they definitely didn't like each other now, but she was Nora's friend so he tried to play somewhat nice to her. Still, waking him up at...

"Patch! Are you even listening to me? There's been an accident, we need to get to the hospital now and pray we aren't too late!" Bella's voice broke through his thoughts.

Patch grabbed his ever-present leather jacket and followed a very distraught Bella to his jeep, there was no way he was riding with her with how upset she obviously was. Patch still didn't know who had been in an accident, his sleep deprived and alcohol infected brain was not fully alert yet. He set out blindly towards the hospital trying unsuccessfully to wake up until the words 'car went through the guard rail on the bridge and plunged into the river' caught his immediate attention just as he stopped in the hospital parking lot and ice water ran through his veins at the speed of light.

"You didn't just say a car went through the rail and into the river did you?" Patch asked, praying she'd say no and praying even harder she hadn't meant Nora's car as flash after flash of him holding her, comforting her and wiping away her tears as he rocked her back to sleep after one of her night terrors about plunging into an icy river off of a bridge and the struggle to breathe her last breath before darkness took over had woken her up screaming. _No, No, No!_ _He shouted in his head, this can't be happening, this has to be a sick joke, some sick twisted cosmic joke or nightmare. Oh God, don't let this be happening!_

"Bella, wh..who was in the car?" He knew, he already knew, but his brain wasn't able to wrap around the idea that her nightmares all these years and years had been some sort of prediction and his own panic and sixth sense right before she left had all been trying to tell him something. Bella still hadn't answered him, she was sobbing next to him.

"Bella!" He yelled. "Who. Was. In. The. Car?" As bad as it sounded, as horrible a person as this made him seem he prayed it was anyone, _anyone_ but Nora. _Please don't let it be her, please don't let her be gone._ Patch was physically shaking and ready to vomit waiting for an answer. It felt like his body had turned to mush and at the same time was frozen inside, time was racing ahead and moving in slow motion all at once.

"Nora."

In one barely audible word Patch's world came crashing down around him, everything went still as his thoughts spun. He couldn't remember why they had fought all he could remember was that things he had worked so hard to build, things he'd been working so hard to build for _them _he hadn't even gotten to tell her, to celebrate with her and now...now it was all...gone. It might not have been the husband and kids life she wanted, she somehow still wanted what they had together more, but it was still dreams he'd shared with her that he'd just started achieving and he hadn't gotten to tell her.

"Patch, we have to hurry!" Bella was trying to hurry out of the jeep.

"Why? What's the rush now? She's gone.." Patch sobbed uncontrollably now.

"Maybe not, another motorist saw the accident and dove in after her and provided CPR and first aid after pulling her from her car. She was still alive when they got her here. They tried calling you but you didn't answer. Vee called me, I thought it was a bad dream or a joke or something so I drove to your place to make sure she was safe with you, only she wasn't so we need to go _now_."

Patch jumped back into action, alive, she might still be alive, he started to sprint towards the Emergency Room entrance.

"Are Harrison and Blythe here yet or my parents?"

"No, it's just Clista and Vee. Rixon and Shadow are on their way."

"Where the hell are her parents?" He screamed, making Bella flinch.

"They said they were out-of-town and would make it when they could."

"Isn't that just gracious of them." Patch bit out.

"Patch, she's over the age of 18 but you need to know she's listed you as her next of kin and power of attorney followed by Clista then Vee. You have sole rights for any decisions about her care while she's unable to make them so any papers to be signed or permission to be given...that all comes from you." Bella explained.

How could he not know about this? How many other things had she kept from him? No, he wasn't going to think about that now he told himself as he reached the desk.

"Where's Nora Grey and can you tell me her condition?" The elderly nurse looked at him with a bored expression.

"Are you a relative sir?"

"I'm her next of kin and I have just been informed I'm her power of attorney." Patch replied in a very calculating voice. The nurse slowly flipped through her charts then asked for his ID just as Vee approached.

"This is her sister right here and her grandmother is here also I believe." The nurse spoke in a bored voice to match her expression.

"Yes, I'm aware who her family is." Patch growled. Before he could say anything else he spotted a much younger nurse walk around the corner and he pounced on her as soon as he saw her stop in her tracks to drink him in. Perfect. Patch practically threw himself at her making her eyes widen with a look he didn't care to dwell on at the moment, he just wanted to know about Nora. She took pity on him after asking who he was to the patient and quickly explained that they had waited for him, Nora was alive but barely, there had been massive injuries that had required immediate surgery, then she handed Patch a stack of forms to sign. When he was done with them he looked her straight in the eye.

"If you value your job and your hospital values the sizable monetary donations it receives that keeps them open they'd do best to consider her last name and mine in any and all decisions affecting her care and her well-being. I expect frequent updates." The nurse looked down and read their last names and glanced back up at him.

"That's right _the_ Grey's and Cipriano's so I suggest you do everything humanely possible to keep my Angel alive in the best possible condition." He'd always hated their last names, never once used his name to give himself a boost, he'd rather hide it than claim it but in that one instant he let himself be grateful for only that one time it might save her life. The hospital would go beyond extraordinary measures to save any of them, they were almost entirely supported by money donated from their family's.

When Patch turned around Scott had Vee in his embrace, their wedding was to have been in two days, looked like it was theirs being delayed this time. Interestingly Rixon and Shadow were hugging and holding each other up making him arch an eyebrow wondering if something more was amiss there too that he had been too tired or to self-absorbed to notice because the last time he checked his baby bro was still pining over the future he wanted with Nora.

Then Patch's eyes came to rest on grandma Clista, she was looking as pale as she could be with her sun-kissed skin like her granddaughters. He approached her and knelt placing his arms around her trying to comfort her as she always did him. Clista stroked his hair the same way Nora did when either of them needed comfort and a fresh wave of tears he didn't think he had the ability to shed tore free. This was his fault. His fault. He couldn't tell them, she'd only been out driving because of her anger with _him_, because she had fought with _him_. His life was in some operating room back there hanging in the balance and there was nothing he could do to save it, he was utterly helpless in a way he had never been before.

Instead of fighting he should have celebrated with her, she may not have gotten her college money or either of them their trust funds but he'd been able to finish at the University before things ended with Dabria so with the help of that education and his friend and boss Angelo, he'd been able to make his dream of starting his own company a reality. He'd been working both jobs, Angelo's advertising and his own company, for a while now. That's why he had been so tired when she'd asked him that night, a night that seemed decades ago now. He hadn't wanted to tell her till he was sure that it was going to pay off, man had it paid off though. One of his college buddies was a very, very good lawyer who was the best in his field had created the most secure privacy documents you could get, and he called in some favors from some of his dad's business relationships to his own benefit. Patch had been getting ready to tell Nora he was now the proud owner and CEO of Cipriano Enterprise, Inc.

Patch was buying out small companies that were prospering at great rates but were so poorly managed that they were being run down into bankruptcy. He was handling every type of business so long as it was showing promise he was willing to negotiate and normally bought above asking price. He'd already paid back his initial backers and amassed a pretty good sum of cash that he was using to invest in his business growth and in stocks ect. He wasn't doing all of this for only himself, he wanted Nora to be able to quit working at the bar and to be taken care of the rest of her life. She could work, he wasn't trying to prevent her from doing that, he wanted her to work in journalism like she wanted to, not as a bartender. If she wanted her own company he wanted her to have that too. She had stubbornly refused to give up that job while attending school and he just hoped she'd use that same stubbornness to pull through this.

Every hour or so they would send a nurse out to let Patch know how things were going. Hours and hours had passed and things weren't looking good. He was either pacing or comforting Clista as best he could given his own shattered self and that horrible gut wrenching guilt for fighting with her in the first place and second for not listening to his sixth sense when she took off. He should have gone after her, should have stopped her. He was wracked with such guilt he could share with no one.

Three times they had come out to tell them she had flat lined but they had gotten her heart started again, each time it sent Patch running for the garbage to puke up what little remained in his stomach until there was nothing but sobs left. Every hour that passed he was realizing more and more how very much he needed her and loved her above all others. Himself included. Not that he was ready to admit he wanted marriage or anything, but without him being aware he was unknowingly being led by his heart and he was following it. She just had to pull through this, she was so so so stubborn, no one knew that better than Patch because they were one in the same. She was the one who could match wits with him or humor any day. No matter what he threw at her she had a retort just as smart if not better. They challenged each other, made each other grow and strive for better.

Clista was shaken to her core for her precious granddaughter. Nora was her baby girl and she cherished her so very much for so many reasons. She knew this accident wasn't Patch's fault though she could see the guilt that he was racking on himself over it. She could read him almost as well as Nora could by now. Clista knew how seriously he took his job of protecting her from _everything _and how great he was at it. She trusted no one with her grand baby but him. Vee and Rixon loved Nora deeply, they would do anything for her but it wasn't the same, it never would be. Both her and Nora knew that even before the boys did. Clista could also see the wheels starting to turn in Patch's mind and hoped his heart would catch up. She prayed the seed she had pounded into him and Nora to 'follow your heart' would break through that thick skull of his and start mending his heart. She'd shared the same wisdom with Vee and Rixon too, the difference was she'd always had a sense that there would come a day that Patch and Nora would only have each other and she didn't want them to ever let go of that special thing they had, the same thing she'd had with her beloved husband Nick. She'd never let go of him and Nora wasn't going to let go of Patch.

After a while Patch needed something more to do and his rage at her parents had worn down a little (honestly, they couldn't see why she continued to pick him over them when times like these showed over and over who really loved her and who really was there for her?) he knew it would sting her if she was aware that they still hadn't made an appearance or even called to check on her since he'd arrived. To distract himself he decided to read through some of the power of attorney papers she had filed. He had been shocked she hadn't told him then realized it was more an omission of information like him keeping his business a secret than a flat-out lie. He didn't fully understand why she had chosen him, on one hand he was closest to her, but Vee was her sister, her blood sister whom she loved and adored. Of course Nora loved him and trusted him above all, they had made it through everything together and if given a chance they would stand together through this too, but this, this was personal, this was monumental. She really could have placed her sister or Clista, hell (god forbid!) her parents as her power of attorney since he knew she still cared deeply for them even after all they had done to her so again he found himself questioning why him? Nora had always been the forgiving type, not him.

Skimming through it she had given him total rights from being the only one authorized to allow names on her visitors list if she were unable to make the choice herself all the way to him having sole discretion on pulling the plug on life support. Everything was covered and included in the papers, including her living will which he hadn't known she had either but there it was, her entire care even her funeral had been planned out. Nothing had been left undone, she had thought this through and through in great detail. He read that she wanted to be cremated and which dress she wanted to be wearing, she even had commissioned a handcrafted choker necklace for him, a pair of angels wings to be made with her ash to keep a part of her close to his heart. He didn't think he could read more, it was all so overwhelming. The love, the thought she had put into this. It even held a copy of her will he didn't think was supposed to be in there. It was like she had packaged it all up for him to have, the thought that those terrors had been seen as premonitions to her just waiting to come true scared the shit out of him. She'd told him what they were, what the images replaying in her head were every time like it was a tape on replay. Patch knew she hadn't confided them in anyone else but had she kept that piece to herself, the piece that seemed a prophecy?

In her will she'd left Clista, Vee, Shadow, Rixon, Scott, Angelo, Gianni and Gabriel each one special personal item of hers, something that would have the most meaning to that specific person, that made sense from her but what stunned him was that she'd left everything else to him..._everything, _nothing to her parents, nothing at all and that was monumental too coming from a girl who wanted nothing more than a good family relationship with them, especially her mom. He hadn't understood that but he supported her in as much as he could until Blythe crossed that line with him concerning Nora.

There was an envelope left sealed with each of their names on it, a letter to each member and his was the thickest. He wanted to know what was in there so badly, what she would want him to know that she hadn't told him already once she was gone and not there to talk to him about it but he couldn't. Not only because he couldn't handle it, truth be told he couldn't, but also because it just felt...wrong. There was still a slim chance she would make it and how would she feel if he had read that. Best to leave that be he decided.

They had been there since three in the morning and it was past noon now. The others had taken turns going to eat or to get coffee or rest in the car but not Patch. No news of Nora dying yet meant that _his Angel _was still in there fighting somewhere so he would be here fighting with her, not leaving until she was safe in his arms again where she belonged. He bad barely even notice the way all the nurses kept gathering to ogle him and whisper or even try to flirt with him as if this were the time or place for that. He had to admit a few of them he would have taken home without hesitation if something key hadn't changed in him during the wee hours of the morning. Now all he felt was disgust towards them. This must be how many women feel he surmised, like a piece of meat that was prime cut and waiting to be devoured. Patch had thought the auction was bad enough but there was a sense of pride knowing he was always the one who was the most fought for and heavily bid on and it was for charity when he was made to take part, he never willingly participated, but after tonight the world had shifted in ways he had yet to fully understand. It was in the middle of those thoughts he heard his name being called again.

"Mr. Patch Cipriano, please."


	18. Chapter 18 - I'M SORRY

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, ESPECIALLY HUSH HUSH CHARACTERS :(**_

_**WARNING: AGAIN, I AM NOT A LEGAL OR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL NOR DO I EVER INTEND TO BE SO ANY AND ALL MEDICAL/LEGAL SUBJECT MATTER IS OBVIOUSLY FALSE AND COMPLETELY MADE UP.**_

_**SORRY GUYS, THIS IS NOT THE MOST EXCITING OF CHAPTERS IT REALLY IS A GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B SO I APOLOGIZE AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU ARE DISAPPOINTED.**_

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><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 18<strong>_

_**I'M SORRY**_

Patch stood then walked to where the Doctor with the clipboard was standing. The man in the blue scrubs whose face gave away nothing had Patch almost certain of impending doom. His throat was closed, his mouth dry, his heart was beating out of his chest and those damn tears were stinging his eyes again. If she'd died he'd know it right? He'd certainly feel it he thought as he tried to calm himself.

"Mr. Cipriano, Nora is out of surgery and while it has been touch and go she is stable as she can be for now. We were worried about the internally bleeding she had when she came in as well as the severity of her head trauma. The bleeding is stopped and from the scans we have done she got very, very lucky. There's no signs of bleeding around her brain or a crack in her skull, swelling around the brain will have to be monitored. She is being transferred to a room across from the nurses station in the ICU ward as we speak. You and her grandma are the next of kin and will be allowed to see her in approximately thirty minutes. She is hooked up to quite a few machines and is in a medically induced coma at least for a short time to give her body some time to heal from the trauma she endured. Any questions?"

All Patch could think was _his Angel, his little fighter _had beaten the odds and pulled through, he was going to see her again and talk to her again. He was going to be at her side keeping her company, keeping her _safe_ while she healed and he was _never_ going to leave her side again. It was at that moment that Blythe and Harrison decided to make their rushed début.

"Where's our precious daughter? We heard our daughter was brought here, she was in an accident. We want to know how she is immediately." Blythe demanded.

"I'm sorry who are you looking for?" The Doctor asked.

"Nora, Nora Grey."

"And you are?"

"Her parents, we were out-of-town on weekend away that we just couldn't possibly get out of and as hard as we tried we were stuck and unable to find an earlier flight."

That was news to Patch since he knew they flew by personal plane not airport transportation. No, once again he was sure they'd chosen themselves and 'business' over their own 'precious daughter' only this time he was holding the whole stack of aces and he fully intended on using them as they had against Nora the last five years. With his signature smirk in place that they hated so much because it promised trouble with a capital T and eyes as black as night shooting daggers at them he turned from them and gave the Doctor a quick smile.

"Yes Doctor, please let them know when they get to see their precious little Nora." The Doctor looked a little confused and checked his notes again before glancing back at Patch with the same confused look before putting on his professional face and with a cool collected Doctor voice of authority turned back to the Grey's.

"You will have to ask Mr. Cipriano when you will be seeing your daughter. Seems your daughter had legal papers drawn up prior to the accident appointing him power of attorney that clearly dictates legally that Miss Grey left him in charge of all visitor access until she is in sound mind to decided for herself. Seeing that she is in a medically induced coma Mr. Cipriano will be the one you will have to work that out with." Then he informed them that any medical information could be gotten from the nurse upon showing proper identification before he turned back into the triage ward leaving a stunned and _VERY _pissed off Mr. and Mrs. Grey.

"You...you did this! I know you did! You always hated us, you put her up to this, there's no way in hell _our _little girl would have chosen you over us, _especially_ for something like this. For all we know it was _you _who ran her off the road!" That's when Clista stepped in.

"Harrison and Blythe Grey, you made that decision for her when you turned your backs on 'your' precious little girl when you made her choose between you and Patch. Was she your little girl when you told her to pick you or her best friend, the best friend who raised her when you were nowhere to be found just like you have been since this all began last night while _he_ was here? Don't you go giving me that look Blythe Grey! He had nothing to do with those papers, he didn't even know about them until last night because only _**I **_did! Who do you think got her a top-notch lawyer and paid the money to have everything drawn up the way _she _wanted it to read? No one, _especially Patch, _knew what was in those papers aside from her and the lawyer that drew them so you can keep all of your accusations, insults, mud-slinging and pity partying to yourself. You should be groveling at the feet of the man who has taken care of her since before you cut her out, the man who provided her a home, food, and necessities, the man who's paying for her education and anything else she needed or wanted long before he could afford it. It was _him _that loved her, _him _that cared for her and aside from giving birth to her it has been _him him him and him _time and again and it will _always_ be _him _in case this fails to sink in once again in that bleach damaged brain of yours! I refuse to have you insinuate things that aren't true of my grandson and my granddaughters protector and provider anymore. When the time comes and she asks for you it will be _**him**_ who has enough love _for her _to come and get you, until then you will just have to wait it out far and away from the lot of us!"

The raised voices had woken up the rest of the Scooby Doo crew as Patch referred to them and Shadow blinked her eyes open from her perch on Rixon's shoulder, while Vee and Scott both woke up to cast their own glares at the elder Grey couple. Blythe and Harrison just stuck their chins a little higher in the air and with heads held high as if they hadn't just been put in their place in front of an audience over a daughter who had tried and tried to mend things with them, giving them chance after chance that in the end always had them demanding she choose between her parents and her heart and just as grandma had said, her heart always won, she'd follow it every time.

One of the young nurses that had eyed Patch since they arrived announced that he and Clista could follow her to Nora's room. Before taking them in the nurse prepared them for what they were about to see as best anyone could in a situation like this. Patch knew that what waited behind those walls and curtains was his broken heart, but she was still fighting for now. His best friend was still in there, that's what mattered, not what she'd look like. He knew Clista needed to and deserved to see Nora as much as, if not more than he did, but there was something he needed to say, something he had to get off his chest before anyone else saw her so he asked Clista if he could have the first few minutes alone with her promising not to take long. As much as Clista longed to see her grand baby she could see how much Patch needed this, whatever his reasons were she would respect them and she could use a few more minutes to prepare herself for what was coming.

Patch pulled back the curtain steeling his eyes for what he though he would see but nothing could have prepared him for this. Nora had machines hooked up everywhere. Two IV's were going and monitors for her heart and god knows what else were all over her and making sounds. There were cuffs on both her legs squeezing and releasing pressure to prevent blood clots from forming and then there was the ventilator...that awful wheezing sound that permeated the room solidifying any idea that she might be okay, that her life wasn't hanging in the balance. Her arm and leg were in casts and she looked black, blue and swollen all over with cuts. That wasn't even looking under her gown where her ribs were broken and bruising from internal bleeding were evident along with the surgery she had required. Patch felt sick again but quickly pulled himself together for her and brought a chair to her bedside, taking her hand, carefully avoiding her IV and being as gentle as he could.

"Oh God Angel, I am so so so sorry for everything, I'm sorry for making you mad, for spending the last two days mostly in fights with you, hell, for every little thing I have ever done to upset you. You have to fight this for you, but for me too please, because I am that selfish, if your life ends mine will too so you better fight with all that fire you have Angel, cuz I'm counting on you. Lord knows I've tried to protect you from everything and everyone but myself and here you lay while I sit here in perfect shape being eye candy for the nurses. I see you rolling your eyes at that. Bet you never thought you'd see the day that I didn't want this sexy body drooled over, huh?" He laughed a humorless laugh. "Angel, we both know that we love each other and have always had each others backs, we've stood together no matter what the obstacle, but in the last day I realized that I never actually said the words to you no matter how close a heart to heart talk we had or how intimate we got, I only had to look at you or say "Hi" and you would say 'I know', but Angel, that's no excuse for me not telling you. I know you know, I'm glad you know, but you deserved and still deserve to hear it over and over how much you mean to me and what your life means to mine and most important how much I...I.." He took a deep shaky breath. "I love you Angel." Patch's voice was barely a broken whisper. " You know I loved Dabria, I wanted the whole settled down life with her, how that turned me so cold to anyone, even you to some extent. She could never get past the fact that you would always come before her, that no one could take your place as my best friend, as _my girl_. _You're MY Angel. _You ended up being right about her like you were about so many other things we've fought about throughout the years. I think you even knew that Dabria wouldn't have ever wanted that white picket fence dream. You knew that beneath that showy exterior that is Dabria and her witty little remarks, that under it all all that she wanted was money and to be the one who finally caught the famous uncatchable Cipriano bachelor..." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before shaking his head and continuing in the same gravely voice. "You have always been beautiful to me, from the first day I met you when you were just five and every year we added you only grew more beautiful until there wasn't another word to describe you besides an angel or a goddess. I've been so selfish with you, but I don't know what to do Angel, I just can't seem to let you go even just a little. This thing with Tristan...I'm sorry you were right about how many women you have seen me with and I freak over one guy like I own you, like you're property to be had. You're not and you never deserved that. When you were at the wishing well with the coin toss over me not marrying Dabria, I guess as much as I had myself and you fooled I never considered you would actually be with anyone else and I took advantage of that and now I may never get to tell you all of this so you hear it, so that I can apologize properly. You look so little, Angel, so broken, I just want to kiss it all better Angel, please I beg you come back to me and I promise I won't ever leave your side..." Patch didn't know if Nora had heard any of what he said but he knew that he needed to say it. Now it was Clista's turn, he would wait in the hall.

Clista walked in and gasped, her tiny hand going to her heart and the other over her mouth. Her granddaughter was laying there all hooked up not even able to breathe on her own looking like she belonged in the morgue minus the steady beeping of the machines. All of her beautiful color was gone, she practically matched the white sheets where she wasn't bruised or bandaged. Clista hadn't stepped foot in a hospital since her husband Nick had died in a tragic accident and she had to identify his body. It gave her shakes and shivers just to be here, but anything for her baby girl. Now though, it was time this old lady went home for some rest before facing this place again. She spoke a few more words to her granddaughter, reminding her what the young man out in the hall meant to her and to always always always follow her heart back to him and that her friends and sister all loved and missed her then she placed a soft kiss to Nora's bruised cheek and quietly left the room.

Out in the hall Clista gave Patch a big tight hug, whispering in his ear, "I know with the love you kids share she will be okay, you aren't going to leave her side until she is completely healed if even then stud, so I'm going to go home and get some rest. Call me if anything changes, if not I will be back later. Make sure you let her sister in next and her friends one by one. They are family to her, just stay by her side with each of them Stud, that's all a grandmother could ever hope to ask for. After a kiss on each cheek she left and Patch took his spot next to Nora's bed holding her unresponsive hand before telling the nurses who to bring in next until everyone had seen her.

Patch never left Nora's side for long. He took a shower, shaved and changed in the adjoining bathroom. Rixon stopped by his loft and grabbed his laptop and cell phone charger along with Nora's favorite books. He spent long hours talking to her about anything and everything as the time passed. Nora's heart rate would become stronger and steadier anytime he spoke to her. It hadn't taken much at all to get a fold out bed brought into the room for him once the nurses figured out it was for him and it meant he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Nora quickly became the most check upon patient in the hospital as each nurse hoped to catch Patch's eye. He never looked away from Nora. He barely slept missing the way she snuggled and would curl up in his arms, nuzzling his neck and tickling him with her hair while he held her safe and protected.

The first week passed as quickly as one could expect given her comatose state. The frequent visits by Nora's friends, Rixon and grandma helped some to pass the time. There were a few times Nora had scared them when her heart rate spiked or her blood pressure. Every time that happened Patch thought he was losing her for sure and he would be violently ill.

After the first few days Patch started doing a little work from the hospital, as much as he could with the lack of concentration he had, but little by little he was on his phone and laptop at her side in case she needed him, still holding on to one of her hands with a minor exception here or there. Any time not spent working or with company Patch spent reading to her. Nora loved classic literature like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights was one of her most read books, she loved to try to convince Patch why the 'bad boy' should have been the chosen one. Nora related that to her life experience, she loved the 'bad brother/black sheep" of the family and it was the 'saintly' brother who would never own her heart.

Patch's favorite book was there too, Gone With The Wind. He related to Rhett. Nora was the only person who knew that was his favorite book, he'd sworn her to secrecy so when their visitors would ask he would roll his eyes and say he was only reading it because she loved the story so much.

The second week was hard in more ways than one. It became harder to believe she would wake up or when she did that she would be the same girl he had always known and loved. The Doctor's had all explained that patients without severe brain damage who were placed into induced coma's would either not have any amnesia or it would be very temporary not more than a day on average. They had tried several time that week to slowly back off her medicine so that she could wake up but her blood pressure and heart rate spiked and the medical staff had agreed she was still under too much stress and wasn't ready yet. They would keep trying and told him to keep having faith.

The staff had all fallen in love with Patch's total commitment and love for Nora. He had insisted on learning as much as he could on how to properly care for her while she was there. He had Rixon bring all of her favorite soaps and shampoos with conditioner (he hated how the hospital made her smell) and even her body lotion. Each day he would sponge bathe her ever so gently and wash her hair the way the nurses had taught him, taking extra care of the machines she was hooked to. As he waited for her hair to dry some he would rub her down with scented lotion to keep her bruised skin moist and satiny like she had always kept it, then he would work on brushing out her long hair, often braiding it to keep her unruly curls a little under control. With the nurses help he would change her sheets each day and he was always repositioning her so she wouldn't get bed sore. He did anything and everything he could to care for her, she was his best friend, he just wanted his Angel back. He wasn't doing anything he hadn't always done before, his life had been spent taking care of Nora so no one, including him, gave his actions a second thought. Except for grandma.


	19. Chapter 19 - REMOVING THE BLINDERS

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, ESPECIALLY HUSH HUSH CHARACTERS**_

**THANKS TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE REVIEWING! I CAN NOT TELL YOU WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO HAVE YOU READING AND FOLLOWING, LET ALONE ENJOYING MY STORY. YOUR WORDS INSPIRE ME TO KEEP PLUGGING AWAY ON THIS SO PLEASE KEEP FEEDING MY MUSE THERE IS MORE TO THIS STORY AND FOR THOSE ALSO READING INEVITABLE I AM WORKING ON THAT ONE AS WELL SO HANG IN THERE FOR MORE TO COME WITH PATCH AND NORA IN THAT STORY :)**

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><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 19<strong>_

_**REMOVING THE BLINDERS**_

Clista spent as much time as possible at the hospital supporting her grand kids, she was also spending time there to...eavesdrop. Grandma had been paying close attention to the conversations Patch was holding with Nora and the love he was showing. They had gone from the love of a man who would never belong to anyone, not even Nora to something closer to 'maybe there is a small chance I could make someone happy someday'. He hadn't said those words exactly, but that was as much of an in as Clista had been looking for. Slowly grandma devised a little plan, she started spending time with Patch reminiscing with little stories about his relationship with Nora as they grew up, how close him and her had gotten while he protected Nora from everything and coming to her rescue time and again as a teenager. She would leave little open-ended question she hoped he would ponder in his time alone about why he did what he did in a certain situation or felt the way he felt or why Nora might have done this or that for Patch when she wouldn't for other people. Clista didn't know if it was working but she was all for trying. After everything her grand-baby had just been through she deserved her happy ever after with her prince charming at her side if she could get it now more than ever. Clista fully intended on doing everything she could do to make that a reality for both kids if she could. As she saw it both were in great need of that kind of love in their life, Nora had a better insight into that but they were still two kids tied firmly together, still adrift in matters of love.

Clista began to ask question next how he thought Nora might have felt about his 'stud' lifestyle, why she hadn't ever seemed to judge him. How did she watch all those women coming in and out of his bed, and why did he think she put up with watching all of that and still choose to have a sexual relationship with him? Clista even questioned him on if he knew why Nora had never liked dating or been with anyone besides himself and Tristan, as if she was just curious to see if he had the same opinions she did or knew something she didn't. What she was really doing was stirring the pot of his thoughts a little more.

Nora had so much love for Patch that she understood the reason he acted out the way he did, he acted out of hurt, not because he was an egotistical ass like everyone thought. She even understood the reason he still wore a condom with her knowing full well she was on the pill because he watched her take it at the same time each and every day. Nora knew it was another barrier he had long put between himself and anyone else, including her. He was protecting his heart the way she protected hers by keeping her love for him a secret. Nora wanted more, the whole family and life with Patch, more than that though, Nora wanted Patch himself. That's why she put up with the pain and hurt, but did Patch realize that? Clista knew he didn't, not yet. Almost losing her and waiting for her to wake up _was_ indeed changing many things about Patch, so on she pushed him with her heart to heart talks, going as deep as he would let her and then backing off to give him time to process without realizing her strategy.

It was wrong on some levels, the way she would stand quietly in the hall listening to the conversations he would have with Nora after her own talk with him. It seemed like her plan might be working. Little by little, brick by brick it seemed the impenetrable walls he had built were being torn down and that was worth her time and effort just knowing it was helping even the slightest. Clista sometimes liked to let herself believe that the reason her granddaughter hadn't been ready to come out of her coma was that Patch wasn't ready, his progress was quick with the trauma of all that had happened and the heart to hearts which gave her hope that maybe Nora could hear, even if she couldn't interact yet. It was easier to tell herself it was that and not that Nora was in pain when they tried waking her or that, god forbid, she was remembering details of the accidents. The last two were almost too hard to bare the thought of.

Eventually Clista started to talk to Patch about the way he felt about Dabria, that was the hardest on him. Then she asked him about the kind of life _he _had wanted with her, the life he envisioned with her that he wanted to give her. At this point anyone outside of the parents would agree what Dabria really was and that she would never have allowed Patch to have those dreams with her at any dollar amount. Having a child would be Dabria's worst nightmare, she was all about the balls and events, a socialite who banked solely on money and looks so even if by some miracle she had gotten pregnant she would have hired help right off the bat, leaving Patch and a nanny to raise his kids which he most definitely didn't want after what they went through with their parents. He would have happily raised his kids with her, but not side by side with a nanny. Very carefully, as gently as she could Clista asked him if having his heart broke could be worth it if it meant he could still have those other dreams without having to put up with the likes of someone like Dabria the rest of his life. That was step two and it was the biggest hurdle because having that particular conversation meant that he had to have his walls lowered almost fully down to even talk about it or consider that period of his life. That was a period he didn't talk or think about for good reasons and he hadn't ever intended on changing. Now not only was he being made to look at that time, but he had to consider if he would actually want to change anything. Grandma watched as the battle raged inside of him and his walls went up then back down. Yes, she could see improvement and so much growth it made her heart happy. He had come so far in such a short time, she hadn't expected it to happen so fast. _Very impressive Mr. Cipriano_, she thought with a smile. Now _that _was the intelligent man, her 'eternal stud', that she knew and loved so dearly.

Clista was thinking over the last pieces in her scheme to get Patch to listen to his heart enough so that he could follow it when she walked the last few paces to where her grand-baby still laid in a coma in the ICU ward. They had decided not to try to take Nora off the medications causing her sleep for a few more days, she'd had enough this week they felt, pushing her too hard after all she had been through and her negative reactions to them lowering the medications hadn't been what they had hoped for at all. It was best to let her heal a little longer and not push their extreme luck after all she was doing such a good job at beating the high odds that had been against her already. This gave Clista time for the final pieces of her plan, she didn't really know how to proceed from there so she was going to have to wing it and take it as it came to her she decided. She knew her grand-kids like the back of her hand, she was as sharp as they came, most women a third of her age didn't' have the brains she still had nor her insight and perception, Clista planned on picking up on whatever little things she could and play any advantages she found.

Pausing outside the door she heard Patch talking to Nora in the voice he reserved only for _his angel_, it melted Clista's heart. She just had to get him to see that those dreams he had were still in him, alive somewhere and almost as important, making him realize that those dreams rightfully belonged to _his angel_ that was laying in that bed looking so fragile. What grandma heard shocked her, he was talking to Nora about those long ago dreams he had buried so deep and all but given up on without her even being there to start 'today's session'. She listened in surprise as he spoke quietly, sounding almost...excited? No, that couldn't be, her 'eternal stud', the man dubbed the most ineligible eligible bachelor talking _excitedly _about what it would be like to have a wife to come home to that he could spoil and a son who would look like him, another son who would look like his mother and two girls as well, which he hoped wouldn't end up causing him to kill some young man when they fell for his daughter's beauty like he did their mothers. He chuckled softly about having a daughter who looked like him while the other had big soft dove-gray eyes like their mothers who could melt you in a seconds glance or turn cold as ice with their steel gray when she was angered. They would have her soft unruly curls and her giggle and best of all her fire and spunk. He drew quite a picture of things with a house and layout with a large yard full of toys he would buy them. Patch told her about the vacations he would want to take them on, he shared that he had already put a large nest egg into saving so he could work from home or take time off as he wished. He would coach all their sports that they chose to join and teach them anything and everything he knew how to do. There were traits he hoped his kids would have, values and morals he wanted to teach them... Boy, Clista thought, he really has done some thinking and soul-searching on this! The most she had hoped for out of it was to have him agree to try monogamous dating! To say she was impressed would be the understatement of the century! Now all she had to do was convince him the right mother for those babies was laying in the bed in front of him, then again, who else did they know that had eyes like that and hair that fit that description? Did he even realize what he was saying and who he was describing?

Clista made a noise so he would know someone was approaching. Patch immediately stopped talking, rising as soon as he saw her to give her a hug and a kiss and retrieve a chair for her before sitting back down looking tired as he took Nora's hand again.

"How is she today?" Clista asked him.

"Nothing new, I cleaned her up already and we've just been talking." Clista kissed Nora on the forehead and cheek as was her custom before taking a seat on the chair Patch had pulled next to him and Nora for her. She needed to convince him that Nora was 'the one', but how and where to start. Before she could begin Patch looked at her with his big beautiful raven black orbs filled with liquid emotions.

"I think I'm in love again, Clista, and I don't know if she can ever love me back. I met the girl of my dreams and I was stupid and afraid so I let her slip away, only this time it's a love like no other, nothing compares to this, not even when I was madly and deeply in love with who I thought Dabria was. This...this is an all-consuming love, I have so much love, passion and life I want to share with her if she would just come back to me...to us." He choked back a sob.

Clista's heart nearly jumped out of her chest, her pulse raced and she gripped the chair as she felt the earth tip as she thought to herself, how could he have been in love all this time and here taking care of Nora and what would Nora do when she woke up again to find her chances gone while she was healing? If the accident hadn't killed her this _surely_ would. Clista felt anger like she had never felt before, and betrayal that she hadn't thought possible against any of her grand-babies, but this time Mr. Cipriano had crossed the line and was about to feel her wrath, just as she was ready to let him have it he spoke the words that nearly stopped her heart and would have stopped Nora's had she heard them. Patch looked from Nora's lifeless form then into Clista's ash gray eyes and very quietly spoke.

"I'm in love with her, I never saw it, I was too busy thinking about my pain, my hurt, protecting myself that I never considered that kind of love with her and the whole time it was staring me in the face waiting for me to pull my head out of my ass and see what I already had. We had an intimate, sexual relationship and shared things with each other that we shared with no one else, we could practically read each others minds, but never did I think I would feel this again. Only this time, this time it's so so much more and _never _did I think I would want those dreams back that Dabria stole from me years ago. I thought I was happy living my 'perfect' life, never letting her fulfill her dreams or consider if I could fulfill them or share in them with her. I just knew then I couldn't be or didn't want to be what she needed, what she wanted and I was too selfish with her, how could she forgive me for what I've done? No matter what I do or how forgiving she has been in the past this is _ALL _my fault...I've been so stupid, so blind...There is no way she could ever feel the same way about me, I've always been her best friend she has benefits with and even that had changed before this..." He pinched the bridge of his nose again then took a deep breath and let out a long sigh before continuing. "Her parents just had to try to set her up with Tristan Miller..." His voice drifted off as he gazed sadly at Nora, stroking small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, his eyes full of emotions and his mind lost in thoughts his heart hadn't been ready to deal with.

As if on cue Clista heard a noise outside in the hall. She thought it was one of the other kids and got up figuring she'd ask them for a few minutes to give her some more time with Patch so they could talk. Much to her surprise it was none other than Tristan Miller. It was good that she had come to check and not Patch she decided. She politely informed Tristan that all visitors had to check in at the nurse's station first, knowing that they had a list of visitors who were approved by Patch, Tristan would not be on there. In fact, Tristan would have a better chance putting out hell's fires with a squirt gun then he had of getting on the list of people allowed to see Nora. It wasn't that Clista was mean, she did take some pity on the sad-faced man before her by telling him that they would hold a party when Nora was released that he would be welcome to attend. That seemed to cheer the poor dear up, as if he thought he had a chance she thought sadly. Well, at the party she would have to set him straight, for now she had Patch who was tearing himself apart piece by piece in the room behind her, _he_ was her priority.

After excusing herself she returned to her spot next to Patch and took his hand in her soft wrinkled one. He turned his body partly towards Clista, still not taking his eyes off Nora.

"I thought I could numb it all out Clista, all those women, all that bourbon. In the end look what it got me. I thought I was giving her everything when really what I was doing was taking everything away from her that mattered the most. How could I have never noticed the pain she must have been in...all those women, being physical with me knowing I would never give her what she wanted the most...a family that she'd never had. I thought her world revolved around me and that she was happy with the way things were, but the whole time it was me that revolved around her, giving her only what I wanted to, Clista. How did I not see her love for me went deeper when I looked in her eyes? I saw everything else, I can practically read her thoughts. How did I not see this? It must have chipped away at her very core...What have I done, how can I fix this when I don't even deserve the chance too? Even with all I was putting her through she _still_ handed her life to me in legal papers like I was some God damn guardian angel when all I really deserved was to be chained in hell for what I put her through. I made sure in every way I thought I could to let her know I loved her and needed her, even depended on her as much as she depended on me, but this...I never would have been open to and now I will either prove to be too late or..." His words continued to flow along with his tears unchecked now and Clista let both flow, sensing that was what he needed most in that moment. When his words ran out it would be her turn to talk.

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><p><strong>THANK-YOU FOR HANGING IN THERE, THIS AGAIN IS NOT ANOTHER ACTION CHAPTER THERE ARE SOME REAL THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS THAT PATCH HASN'T ADMITTED OR DEALT WITH THAT HE NEEDS TO IN ORDER FOR LIFE TO MOVE ON FOR HIM WITH OR WITHOUT NORA. NEXT CHAPTER GRANDMA HAS SOME WISE WORDS AND YET TO COME, WHAT WILL NORA THINK OF ALL OF THIS? IT MAY BE WHAT SHE'S BEEN WAITING TO HEAR, BUT IS IT A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT? SHE MAY HAVE SOME THINGS TO FIGURE OUT HERSELF, AS MUCH AS SHE LOVES AND WANTS PATCH SHE WON'T WANT HIM HAVING ANYTHING LIKE SURVIVORS GUILT FORCING HIM TO BE WITH HER...<strong>

**If you love it let me know, if you like it let me hear, if you have suggestions tell me, if you hate it...well click the button and move to another story you love :) I'm trying to update as quickly as I can. I know you guys are as anxious to know what is going to happen as I have been but it doesn't hurt to tell me again!**


	20. Chapter 20 - WISE WORDS FROM A WISE LADY

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, SADLY NOT EVEN PATCH :( HIM AND ALL OTHER CHARACTERS ASIDE FROM GRANDMA CLISTA BELONG TO BECCA FITZPATRICK AND HUSH HUSH SAGA**

_**THANK-YOU THANK-YOU THANK-YOU THANK-YOU TO ALL WHO ARE REVIEWING! YOUR WORDS ARE KEEPING ME INSPIRED TO FINISH THIS STORY. THIS BEING MY FIRST ONE I'M DEFINITELY WORRIED ABOUT FINISHING IT AND KEEPING EVERYONE HAPPY AS I CAN WHILE STAYING TRUE TO MYSELF AND MY STORY. THIS WAS MEANT TO BE A RATHER SHORT STORY AND AS YOU SEE I AM AT CHAPTER 20 ALREADY SO...FAILED THAT ONE. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO DECIDE WHEN WRITING, SO MANY THINGS I WANT TO EXPLORE WITH THESE TWO CHARACTERS, BUT AS A FIRST TIME WRITER I AM TRYING VERY HARD TO NOT TACKLE TOO MUCH, IT'S HARD ENOUGH KEEPING UP WITH THIS AND MY STORY INEVITABLE ON TOP OF THE ONE SHOTS I GET CIRCLING IN MY HEAD OR THE OTHER STORY IDEA'S BADGERING AT ME TO BE WRITTEN. PATCH AND NORA HAVE BECOME AN OBSESSION FOR ME...I MAY NEED INTERVENTION SOON LOL... THANKS AGAIN TO ALL WHO ARE READING, ESPECIALLY THOSE REVIEWING, THE MORE REVIEWS THE MORE INSPIRED I BECOME AND THE FASTER I WRITE :) SO THOSE WHO READ THANK THE ONE'S WHO REVIEW FOR GIVING YOU NEW MATERIAL!**_

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><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 20<strong>_

_**WISE WORDS FROM A WISE LADY**_

When Patch had bled out his tears, grief and guilt for the time being Clista spoke up.

"You know kid, no one could ever make Nora do anything she didn't want to whole heartedly herself, including you. I knew from the first moment that you were going to be trouble, not that I was expecting her to love you with her entire heart and soul from that the first minute she laid her little eyes on you, nor did I know at first it would grow into the kind of love that would consume as she grew. You grew on me though, you became my grandson and I saw the way you loved her in return, you looked out for her better than even the most attentive of parents do their young. Boy did she give you a run for your money quite a few times as I recall. Every time you guys worked it out, even when she made you want to pull your hair out." Clista chuckled. "The one thing that never changed was the love and commitment you both shared, the way your lives had entangled into each other until you were one unit that not even Dabria, as much as you loved her at the time, could have reviled. Yes, Nora was eaten alive with jealousy and fear of losing the thing that was her life, more than that though she wanted _YOUR_ happiness and she did what she did to make sure you got what she felt you deserved. If that had been Dabria she would have been as happy as she could be _for you_ because only _you_ meant that much to her. She had her doubts and they proved to be right, she struggled for a couple of weeks with the right way to handle what she had found out, knowing the information she had would shatter your heart and dreams, that it would change everything. Her and I spoke and she realized sooner or later that would happen anyhow and she didn't want you falling any deeper in love than you already were or for Dabria to steal anymore from you than she already had. Nora risked losing you by sharing what she knew, as always she had your back and she always will. As much as your change crushed her and shattered her own dreams of a life and future she had envisioned for herself with you, she also knew you were her life and soul, without you she wasn't really Nora so she sucked it up and dealt with the pain taking whatever she could get from you. She knew that in your own way you still loved her more than anyone else and when her family turned and bailed on her it was you she would always choose with no doubts. Nora never questioned that you would find a way to make it all better, she never doubted if you would continue to take care of her as you always had. You did the best you could, Stud, with the cards life dealt you and no one understood that better than Nora. She would have rather died than let you know she was hurting in any way, she knew you weren't ready so she held on to the hope that maybe some day you would be and I did everything in my power to encourage her to do that. I told you kids to follow your hearts and she did, she always has, when given an ultimatum she chooses you every time because _you _are her heart. I pray that you find that your heart also lies with hers, that the future you both want lies with the both of you together." Clista patted his hand then looked at the fading bruises on her granddaughters cheeks. "If anyone can pull through all of this it is our Nora. She has already defied odd after odd to be here: plunging into the river, the miracle that there was another motorist with life saving skills on the scene the moment it happened who was able to free her from the car and revive her, then her internal injuries and bleeding, the hours and hours of surgery and care it has taken to get us to this point. She is one tough little cookie so don't go giving up on her now Stud, you deserve happiness, you deserve to be together. Make up for lost time and pain by making her happier than you already have, if that is what you truly want. Follow your heart Patch, it won't ever lead you wrong. Only you know what you are capable and willing to give and where you are in your life and where you want to be in hers now. Nora made the choice to follow her heart, she made the choice to follow you, she made the choice to live the lives you two have lived together, no one made those choices _but _her so enough with your guilt over choices she alone made, _not you_. Focus on the future son, that is what matters the most now, you never know as you can see when those moments may be stolen from you. The best you can do is the best you can do, live each moment as if it were your last, love someone each moment as if it were your last, and follow that big heart of yours. Don't look at me like that, her and I both know as well as you that you still have one or you wouldn't be sitting here. Keep in mind, everything you experienced with Nora was a choice she made, she could have walked away at any instant and chose not to. She knew what you were and weren't capable of giving her. No one held a gun to Nora's head making her continue to have sex with you or be there when the next tramp left your bed. She went in with both eyes wide open just like she went in that mud hole with her new dress on without your help. Those decisions are on her, not you. Now, this old lady needs some coffee and lunch so I will be back in a little while." Clista put her hand on his cheek and pressed a kiss to the top of his head before excusing herself so he could have time to absorb all she had said to him.

Sitting in the cafeteria with all the throng of Doctors and nurses in their colored scrubs and the other visitors eating her turkey sandwich and chicken noodle soup, Clista though about her conversation with Patch and the one she had overheard. She hoped she had been in time, that it wasn't too late for him to make such big changes. The walls he had built had been so high, so thick and so impenetrable for so long. As much as she hated what happened to her granddaughter, it would never be a blessing, something good could still come of it at least she hoped. For almost six years Patch had been a playboy living up to her title for him from so long ago. He was every bit the 'Stud' she knew that he could be, she had watched him grow up and somewhere still hidden in him was that sweet little boy who had captured both hers and Nora's hearts, even if he had himself and everyone else convinced he wasn't, that he had died with Dabria to _NEVER _come back. That was the thing about love, it often made a fool of you and you were almost always glad it did when it happened to you. He had done a good job, she surmised, of convincing himself and others. If he did change would it last so that him and Nora would get their happy ever after or would her granddaughter end up shattered beyond repair if he couldn't do it? No, she thought, I can't think that way, these kids love each other and have been more devoted than any married couple she met since her Nick was alive with her and that was saying a lot since her and Nick were pretty damn perfect together. They were the couple back then that everyone wanted to be, they had the relationship every parent wants for their son or daughter, at least any _good _parent. When hard times hit or disagreements, as any couples have, they always loved each other through it. You don't have to always like someone to love them and that undying love pulled them through a hell of a lot. Harrison would even have had to admit his parents marriage was the personification of what it meant to truly love someone and be devoted to them selflessly.

Patch had consented to Blythe and Harrison visiting Nora each day for a limited time. He would leave ten minutes before they were to arrive and be back ten minutes after they were to be gone. The nurses had strict orders that they were _not _welcome to stay past their allotted time. He had started the first day with an hour in mind when the beeper the hospital had given him suddenly went off. Patch had run with fear in his heart the whole way back up to Nora's room. Her parents had been removed from the room by the Doctor's who said her heart rate and blood pressure had suddenly spiked again and they weren't sure what had caused it. Patch worried maybe it was him being gone, but that didn't feel like the right answer in his gut. He pondered it a while and a light went on causing him to question if her parents hadn't caused the stress. Who knew what those two were capable of saying while she laid there, especially Blythe. If she could hear or feel their presence like others assumed she could it wouldn't be far from the reaction her parents always gave her. Stress. Patch decided to try cutting back their visiting time to half and hour which, of course, set off the fury of the Greys' and their "rights to their daughter had been violated by someone with the likes of _him_ who should not be allowed to dictate, after all, don't they understand that _they_ are a founding family of Coldwater Creek and outstanding in the community and huge financial contributors to the Coldwater Creek hospital?" they loudly informed everyone. The helpless staff was caught in the middle of the feud, but bound by law so they repeatedly went back to the legally binding documents and time and again informed the Grey's it was Patch's decision until a judge said otherwise and no judge would, those papers were as air tight as they came. Nora's word had been made law, and Nora's word was spelled P-A-T-C-H.

The next visit went the same as the last one, startling everyone. It had only been thirty minutes for Gods sake, thought Patch! Nora had stressed again, that wasn't good for her healing. Once again he had changed their visiting down to a mere fifteen minutes. Nothing, nothing had caused that reaction in her besides lowering her medication to wake her in the whole time she had been there. Patch knew he was going to pay hell for this from them, when hadn't he since Dabria and even before that to a lessor extent? They had always viewed him as corruption to their daughter because he jeopardized their plans for Saint Rixon and Nora, plans he disgustingly had to now admit he had tried to talk her into that night at the fountain, he was no better than them in that moment just as she had pointed out. They hadn't given a thought of Nora's feelings on that marriage or on love. Ever. They never cared or asked if Nora loved Rixon or how she saw her relationship with the younger Cipriano. No, they blamed him which he didn't mind, what Patch minded was how they repeatedly did and said things to hurt _his Angel_, even before disowning her. He hadn't wanted to marry Vee for the same reasons Nora didn't want to marry Rixon. The difference was that Vee had...gotten over her crush on Patch, Rixon hadn't that he had been aware of before the accident. Her parents could lawyer up and try to fight him, make him pay for the choices he was making, but Clista had been right, her lawyer was the best in the business, he'd done some research, if they did try to fight it they wouldn't be counting on the money he had already stock piled between his new company and the yet unannounced position he held as partner to Angelo in his advertising company. No one knew about Cipriano Enterprise, Inc., all deals were drawn up anonymously. Blythe and Harrison could bring it, he'd happily throw down a gauntlet with them for Nora.

This time the Grey's visit went without a hitch, no pager alert giving Patch a much-needed break if only for some awful cafeteria food and coffee with a measly fifteen minutes to scarf it down. He knew he should be stepping away sometimes to keep his sanity for at least a few minutes a day, but he just couldn't. These fifteen minutes alone had _him _stressed out, being away from Nora's side. It had been a nightmare of epic proportions when he was told to go home and get some rest the first few days of being there by the Scooby Doo gang. They had said they would take turns sitting with Nora, but Patch physically couldn't leave her side. Their magnetic pull was still fully intact and stronger than ever. If she was there than so was he.

Patch was getting more business done from there now than he was in the beginning, well, as much as he could without leaving for meetings. Now that he knew how she'd felt about him, and even more recently, coming to terms with his own very real feelings for her that he had kept even from himself it seemed. No, with all the new happening there was no way he was leaving Nora more than absolutely required. Patch had thought long and hard about those feeling he had for her. In the beginning he had denied it again to himself, as he looked deeper he thought about how he just had to still hold her so tightly in his arms, to know where she was and that she was okay at _all _times. Sure it had been that way since they were kids, but after Dabria and all those women it was still _Nora_ he needed and only her that he would do that with. He hadn't felt that way with anyone, _including_ Dabria, he had never given it a thought if she were running late or he didn't know _exactly_ where she was or who she was with. Patch went deeper yet and examined their very, very intimate sex life. Him and Nora had explored so much together which said a lot considering playboy Patch had been in some pretty wild situations on his own, but the connection of theirs, though not ever talked about between them, had always felt _very_ different to him. It felt like it from the moment he had touched her in preparation to take her virginity all those years ago, like he was home at last where he was truly meant to be when he was with her. There was still that crackle of electricity he felt course through his entire body at any and _every_ touch between them, intimate or not, that he hadn't gotten from anyone else, only her. Could that have been a sign? He had insisted she move in with him, sharing his room, refusing to bring girls back to his place anymore, he would go to the girls house or a hotel regardless of the fact that she had been at his home almost constantly with women in and out before that. It hadn't been enough for him... How many times had they pulled the marriage sham to get the girls he had brought home the night before out that drug their feet leaving? That thought alone broke his heart thinking of what she had done for him, putting aside the thing she wanted most while pretending she had it and he had been too cold and too blind to notice or appreciate it. Patch thought about all of their heart to heart talks, sharing all their thoughts and feelings, he hadn't noticed her omissions back then, what kind of best friend wouldn't have felt or noticed those he asked himself. Patch had told her not to settle, had he meant for anyone else _but _him without knowing it? It was true that the idea of any man so much as shaking her hand aside from his brother made his skin crawl and more than that it had made him physically sick and filled with rage: _jealousy_. Patch hadn't thought of it that way though, he had never been that way with any girl, including Dabria, he hadn't felt that way even when they would flirt with other guys in front of him. He thought it was because the girls were a dime a dozen, for every girl there were a hundred more still begging for his attention. He was a cock snob, he knew he was hot and he knew how to be charming when needed and when to lay on the sexual innuendo's to get what he wanted, even his voice or glance had ladies panties dropping which only served to make his ego the size of its own country as Nora jokingly put it, now even that side of him was changed. Not that he didn't do those things with Nora, cause he did for sure, but there was love behind it and respect, always. It finally dawned on him just how long this had gone on...a long, long, long time. He could read her eyes, her face, practically hear her thoughts, she must have carefully turned away from him at those moments discreetly or perfected the mask that he had mastered. Probably a little of both. Was he ready to change everything he was? How he lived? Everything about himself now? As he looked at the angel in front of him he knew he would do _anything _for her and now for himself, yes, he was finally going to admit that he had been in love with her for much longer than he wanted to say, he had pushed that very thing away as far and as hard as he could, no more he vowed to her and to himself. When she came out of this and came back to him he was going to find a way to break his new epiphany to her and convince her to at the very least let them try to be more. He would do anything and everything to convince her he wanted her and her alone from now on, that he wanted to settle down with her now no matter how long it took, even if it was years he would wait, just as she had for him.

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><p><strong>Alright folks, grandma has spoken and Patch has come a long ways, yes? Next chapter will be Waking Up Nora... has she heard anything? Does she remember anything? What has her time 'away' been like? Hope you're enjoying and don't forget to review review review :) <strong>


	21. Chapter 21- WAKING UP NORA

_**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN PATCH, NORA, RIXON, VEE, SCOTT OR THEIR PARENTS ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE OH SO TALENTED BECCA FITZPATRICK AUTHOR OF HUSH HUSH SAGA AND CREATOR OF MY SINFULLY DELICIOUS PATCH CIPRIANO :)~**_

_**I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH NORA WHILE PATCH AND GRANDMA TOOK CENTER STAGE... READ ON AND FIND OUT! HOPE YOU ENJOY AND DON'T FORGET TO FEED THE MUSE WITH YOUR REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE SHOWING ME SOME AWESOME, ENCOURAGING LOVE AND I CAN'T THANK-YOU ENOUGH FOR OPENING YOUR HEARTS TO MY VERY FIRST STORY EVER, ONE THAT IS VERY DEAR TO MY HEART. 3**_

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><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 21<strong>_

_**WAKING UP NORA**_

Unknown to Patch and her family Nora was having experiences of her own. Some part of her remembered the sound of the tires screeching as they slid across the cement, she couldn't remember what had made her lose control, what she did remember was the sound of the guard rail braking and the water rushing at her and around her as she fought to live until everything swirled into blackness.

The next thing that was clear was the sound of a man's voice whispering her name gently but firmly, telling her to _fight_ it wasn't her time. She didn't know how, she just knew that it was her grandpa Nick, grandma Clista's husband, that was talking to her, but she was so, so tired and so cold. He insisted she fight, telling her Patch wouldn't finish his life without her, _she_ was the thing keeping _him_ fighting. Then there was other pesky voices she didn't really understand and bright lights that would start to flicker through her conscience, but the pain was too much to bare and every time it happened she would run towards the safety of the darkness, letting it swallow her until the pain ceased and her grandpa's voice would again remind her of Patch and the other names she didn't always readily recognize. _It's not your time, Nora. It's not your time, people need you Nora, people you love, people who love you, even people you have yet to meet, the world needs you, you have things to still accomplish and to contribute_, he would whisper in a voice filled with the purest love she had ever felt. It enfolded her in a cocoon and she never wanted to leave. As much as she wanted to stay she would fight her way back towards those painful, flickering lights and confusing voices trying to make sense of it. There were times she couldn't remember what or who it was she was fighting for and then a name would come to her: Patch. She had to get to Patch. The last time she had wandered far into the darkness towards a light she couldn't see but was aware of she had felt herself surrendering everything to it, relishing in the rest and tranquility that was taking over her until her grandpa had appeared in front of her.

"I think there is something you need to see for yourself and you need to see it now before it's too late and you've made your choice to crossover because your choosing wrong. Your grandma told you to follow your heart and you're not, Angel." _Angel...something inside of her resonated with that name, something significant... Angel, she repeated the nickname, tasting it and rolling it around in her mind. _"Look down there, Nora." Nick pointed at what looked to be the inside of a hospital waiting room. "Do you see the young man? That's Patch, _your _Patch. The nurse just told him that you flat lined again and they are working to restart your heart. Now look at him closely." Nora knew she hadn't moved and yet somehow everything was now up close as if she could reach out and touch him. "He has clung weakly to that garbage can, violently ill since they told him and every time it's happened before, his mind is already spinning through ways to end the pain and suffering that's eclipsing him at the mere thought of losing you child, if you surrender to the light so will he. Answer me this: is your heart here in the darkness waiting for the light to take you or is it down there hanging by a thread to a garbage pleading to a God he's not sure he believes in or who would listen to someone who led the life he has? Your life is so entangled with his now and has been since you were both very young, your life is his and his life is yours. Are you prepared for that, for his life to be surrendered too, or are you the fighter him and your grandma have always believed you were? I've looked out for you all these years and I've agreed with them, are you going to prove us wrong?" In a flash that total darkness left and never came again, she didn't want it to, it wasn't welcomed any longer there was no peace to be found there, not right now.

Nora didn't know how much time was passing or where exactly she was, for all she knew she was in limbo somewhere caught between life on earth and life in heaven or trapped in the darkest recesses of her mind unable to escape. When hope started to fade she would hear voices talking to her that were soft and comforting, not frightening, frantic and confusing like the others had been, she could almost swear that with that one deep velvety voice she could feel someone holding her hand, but she couldn't move or respond, only listen and on more and more frequent occasions she could make out clips of what was being said to her: Patch, _her Patch_ was speaking to her and his tears were falling on her. In her confusion still she couldn't understand what was wrong or what was real or not, but she knew that something had to have happened to him and she needed to find out what and help him, then the dreamlike state would over take her again and she would be left reliving memories she thought were of the past, but she couldn't be sure. Flashes of a river and giant bonfires would come and go, a dance floor set up outdoors with lanterns decorating around it and some sort of music that wasn't American would ring in her ears and she would feel happy and then sad when it would fade away at the end of the song. It was all so hazy like she recognized it on some levels and not others.

Nora no longer remembered the accident, the sight nor sounds, but there were still those times she would start to hear unfamiliar voices getting louder and she tried to cry out to Patch that the pain was too much to make it stop and then it would fade away again leaving her feeling weak, drained and shaken. Each time it happened it became a little easier, but not by much.

There were two voice though that she couldn't place a name or face to, but they made her tiny world a place of Arctic cold where she felt like she was freezing from her heart out and she was lost against the storm raging on around her. She couldn't escape from those two voices, she had to wait out the weather until they left. When they would go she didn't know what had made them leave, but she sure as hell was glad they were gone.

The last time the voice had been almost perfectly clear it was Patch's voice she recognized, the one she had been hearing separate from the times there were multiple voices, but he was talking about love and marriage...with her? No, that couldn't be right, she must be dreaming she no sooner decided when his voice faded out again.

That's how the days passed for her, fighting to grasp what was real from what wasn't, what was now and what was the past from dreams and imprisonment wherever she was. Who were all the other voices she would hear, and why couldn't she put faces with them. It was all so confusing, so frustrating, and so very exhausting. She had promised her grandpa she would fight though and fight she was, there was _no way_ on _her_ watch that _she_ was going to let _anything_ happen to _her Patch_ and when she finally broke through her state of limbo she would find out what was making him so sad and do everything she could to fix it and pick up the pieces that were shattering inside him.

Three long hard awful weeks had passed since the nightmare had begun with a knock at Patch's door and the voice of Nora's friend Bella, crying in search of her. All Patch could do now was repeat his undying love and devotion to his best friend, and express his need to give her all she wanted, to be all she wanted, to give her the family neither of them had ever had. He poured his heart out to her about the commitment he wanted, he _wanted_ to commit himself to her, to the young woman who had always been _his Angel_. He hoped beyond hope she would hear him out and not turn him away. He didn't deserve it, he knew he didn't just like he didn't deserve her, that didn't stop his heart and soul from wanting that with her more than anything.

Today would be their next try at waking her the Doctors had informed him and he wanted it to work, he want it badly, but he was terrified it would turn out like the last attempts that seemed to hurt her, he felt like he could quite literally _feel_ her physical pain and confusion as if he were sharing her thoughts and the last thing he wanted was for her to be in more pain.

This time Patch wanted to try something a little different, he'd read that mothers often use soft music when their in labor about to deliever to welcome their new baby's into the world during natural childbirth, especially home births and it got him thinking that maybe creating a calm and peaceful environment might help ease her or coax Nora back to him. He asked the Doctor if he would mind him playing a song softly in the background as they reduced her medication and he had agreed to let Patch try. He had thought it was a wonderful idea and Rixon had brought in Patch's iPod dock and speakers for him with the song he had requested. When the music was set on repeat and playing softly they began the slow process of weaning back the medication that was causing her to sleep so deeply.

_**I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU-BON JOVI**_

I guess this time you're really leaving_  
><em>I heard your suitcase say goodbye_  
><em>Well as my broken heart lies bleeding_  
><em>you say true love is suicide

You say you've cried a thousand rivers_  
><em>And now you're swimming for the shore_  
><em>You left me drowning in my tears_  
><em>And you won't save me anymore

Now I'm praying to God you'll give me one more chance, girl

I'll be there for you_  
><em>These five words I swear to you_  
><em>When you breathe I want to be the air for you_  
><em>I'll be there for you_  
><em>I'd live and I'd die for you_  
><em>I'd steal the sun from the sky for you_  
><em>Words can't say what love can do I'll be there for you

I know you know we've had some good times  
>Now they have their own hiding place<br>Well I can promise you tomorrow  
>But I can't buy back yesterday<p>

And Baby you know my hands are dirty  
>But I wanted to be your valentine<br>I'll be the water when you get thirsty, baby  
>When you get drunk, I'll be the wine<p>

I'll be there for you  
>These five words I swear to you<br>When you breathe I want to be the air for you  
>I'll be there for you<br>I'd live and I'd die for you  
>Steal the sun from the sky for you<br>Words can't say what a love can do  
>I'll be there for you<p>

_[Solo]_

And I wasn't there when you were happy  
>I wasn't there when you were down<br>I didn't mean to miss your birthday, baby  
>I wish I'd seen you blow those candles out<p>

I'll be there for you  
>These five words I swear to you<br>When you breathe I want to be the air for you  
>I'll be there for you<br>I'd live and I'd die for you  
>Steal the sun from the sky for you<br>Words can't say what a love can do  
>I'll be there for you<p>

Patch stroked Nora's hand and spoke softly in a soothing voice about his dreams of what their life could be like together as the medication slowed while carefully watching the various machines that he had come to learn how to read in the time he had been there with her. He watched Nora's face and body along with her Doctor for any signs of stress. So far so good he smiled as hope began to rise in his chest for the first time since that awful first night and Clista who sat next to him gripped his hand tighter. Nora's eyelids started to flutter and her hand twitched. It was happening! Nora was waking up, Patch's heart-felt like it was racing and drumming to get out of his chest. He spoke just a bit louder, reassuring her that everything was okay, that she was okay, explaining to her that there would be some pain, he'd never lied to her and he wasn't about to start now. He rubbed her hand a little more firmly as he told her he was there with her and she would be okay, he wasn't going to leave her side. Over and over he repeated the words and kept telling her how much he needed her, how very much he missed her. For a minute her heart rate spike and her blood pressure as her eyes opened, but the Doctor assured them she was probably reacting to the confusion of it all, not knowing where she was and why she was in pain was bound to cause anxiety and a certain amount of trauma. He encouraged Patch to keep doing what he was doing. If she did well they would soon remove the ventilator.

The whole Scooby Doo gang was waiting outside the room in the hallway on bated breath to see how it would go, each trying to keep the others hopes up, especially when they didn't hear all the flurry of activity and loud voices that there had been the previous aborted attempts at waking her.

When Nora's eyes finally opened fully for the first time they raced around the room in panic, she couldn't speak or really make sense of it yet and there was a lot of pain still, this time it was tolerable though. Then her eyes found the two black pools that reminded her of a starless midnight sky: Patch's eyes. **_Her_** Patch just like she'd remembered him. From the moment her eyes met his they locked into place, sharp and focused as tears fell unrestrained slowly from his eyes, Nora was dying to wipe them away, to kiss it better, whatever '_it' _was. The memory of her grandpa making her look at Patch, explaining how she was his life as much as he was hers and how if she gave up the fight he would surrender with her came flooding back to her. As their gaze held stead he gently explained to her that she had been in an accident, that she was in the hospital, everything was okay, she just needed to focus on resting and healing. Patch told her she would be able to talk soon, that they had put her in a deep sleep like a coma so her body could recover from the trauma a little.

Her thoughts where swirling, how long had she been out? Nora couldn't look away from Patch's eyes, as long as he was at her side she trusted she would be okay, she trusted him with everything, including her life.

They removed the ventilator a little while later, gently and as swiftly as they could, it wasn't a painless procedure, but it was quick. Her throat would be extremely sore for a while as it healed.

Big soft dove-gray eyes melted into tender black ones and words were exchanged without sound, that hadn't changed between them. Patch could see the calm his presence brought her, could see that she recognized him and his heart somehow beat a little louder, a little faster and a little stronger and he had to swallow a lump in his throat. He could also see the confusion and pain that was still etched on her beautiful face. Nora was now very gently squeezing his hand back in response. God did her touch feel good after all these weeks, he had missed it so deeply, it was like a drink of water after months spent wandering alone in the desert.

When she finally tried to speak her voice was hoarse, broken, and barely audible, you could, however, clearly make out her first word: Patch. Her eyes briefly left his to scan the room once more from the equipment to the Doctor's and nurses to her grandma, none of them were recognizable to her and Patch could see the complete loss of understanding raging in her eyes until she met his gaze again.

"Water. Patch." Nora whispered. One of the nurses hurried to pour her a cup and insert a straw for her. Very gently Patch raised the straw to her lips and held the cup for her to drink until she was done. He was so tender, so loving and patient with her in everything he did. To him it was the least he could do for the woman who was his best friend, his rock and his support...and God he hoped and prayed she would be his future wife. If she still wanted him, if she would still have him. He had been such a fool. It had taken him over twenty years to weave the tangled web of his life, the phrase 'oh what tangled webs we weave' played over and over in his mind, yes, it had take him that long to weave it, but thanks to Nora it was only going to take months to untangle it.

Nora's Doctor reminded Patch and Clista to be prepared that she might not remember everyone at first, what had happened or where she was, to not lose faith because the medicine was still wearing out of her system from being built up and the longer it was the more she would remember. By the next afternoon it should be almost entirely gone. If she was still not remembering things she should they would order more tests.

After a thorough exam, but before leaving the Doctor looked from Nora to Patch.

"In all my forty-six years of medical practice I have never seen a couple more in love or a man as dedicated to his partner as I have witnessed with you, Patch. Not a single boyfriend, fiancé' or husband has shown your level of commitment. I haven't had many parents who have done what you have for Nora. It gives me hope again that true love and soul mates might really still exist. I can see in her eyes already that if nothing else she recognizes you Patch, she trusts you completely. You're two pieces of a puzzle finally reconnected. Your love is a blessing and an honor to witness. Thank-you for restoring a little hope for humanity back in this old Doctor." He nodded his head and quietly left them alone after telling them he'd be back on rounds to check on her unless they needed him before.

The music continued to play its quiet melody in the background long into the evening as it seemed to soothe Nora just as Patch had hoped. He sincerely wished that she found meaning in his song selection, if not there was always later.

The more Patch spoke to her, the more she seemed to start to understand that she had been in an accident and where she was and what was happening in her body and around her. Nora was experiencing pain, but she was okay. He asked her if she needed any pain medication, letting her know it would help her to sleep and get some rest. She'd refused, shaking her head no at him. Nora didn't want to go to sleep, she wanted to look at Patch, to hear his voice. It didn't matter what he said, he could have repeated the ingredients off a bottle of hand-sanitizer for all she cared, his voice would still beat a choir of angels singing to her.

Nora took notice of how Patch told her she'd been in a car accident, but not what had happened exactly. That was one thing Nora would never remember and one thing he'd swear to do everything in his power to make sure she never found out. Some things were better left in the dark, that was one of them. Her night terrors had robbed her of enough sleep already. She'd suffered from them since shortly after he had met her, the visions of being in a car skidding off the road and through a guard rail before plunging into the icy water below. Sometimes her family would be with her and they would all die. Most often it was only her and she was trapped by her seat belt as water filled the car, her window wouldn't break or roll down and there was no escape, she wasn't strong enough to open the door. She would gasp her final breath, trying to hold it as long as she could pray for a speedy death while fully aware it was racing towards her. It was at that point she would wake screaming and crying, gasping for air like she couldn't breathe and shivering like she had hypothermia. Those were the nights Patch would rush to her side if he wasn't there already, holding her throughout the night, comforting and soothing her when her parents couldn't be bothered or weren't around. Patch would never understand the callous hearts that would choose to save face or 'embarrassment to their family' over their little girl who was being traumatized over and over. Clista had begged them and pleaded them for help, offered to pay and even drive her out of Coldwater Creek to keep it a secret if they would seek her granddaughter help. Not even Nora's grandma had been able to calm her down when she had one, she would sit by her side until she cried herself out and fell back to sleep. It was by the grace of God that Patch had just happened to be over right after moving in when little Nora had gone up to bed only to be struck by one. Her screams had sent him bolting at lightening speed to her room thinking she was being attacked or was dying. When he realized she was dreaming he had pulled back the covers, crawled into bed with her and pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her hair and whispering things he hoped would soothe her. He didn't know what to say or do, he was only ten, but he did the best he could and it seemed to work. A bond was forged of the strongest kind that night out of one that was already made to be unbreakable. As Nora got older the frequency dropped, still it was frequent enough that he was always alert to listen for his phone if she needed him. When Patch had heard the details of the accident from the officers who investigated it had sickened him how closely those nightmares had been to the actual event. There was no way he would willingly let anyone tell her that and risk permanently traumatizing her more. If she suffered another night terror after this he was paying for her to see the best damn Doctor money could get. His reputation meant nothing, her peace of mind meant everything.

It was stressful for them that she hadn't immediately recognized anyone else, not her grandma, her sister or her closest friends. Nora studied each face, listened to each voice and focused as much as she could but it was blank, nothing came to her. She could see the pain and hurt on their faces. As bad as she felt there was nothing more she could do but pray the Doctors and nurses were right and she would soon remember. She sensed how important they were to her before her accident, she just couldn't put it together when there were no memories to go with the faces and voices. Again and again she would turn to Patch for reassurance and he would comfort her with his soothing words and loving gaze as best he could, telling her that it would come back to her, give it time. It was fascinating to both of them how she had remembered him instantly along with their history together, they could still seem to speak to each others thoughts.

Nora sensed that Patch was keeping something from her, something he hadn't told her, for now she would let it go. She had healing to do and she tired easily. As much as she hated it she had to surrender to asking for pain relief. It hurt to breath and the first time someone had said something funny and she had involuntarily tried to laugh she'd instantly regretted it, it felt as if she was being killed.

Patch kept vigil as Nora slept, thinking about all that had happened that day. The miracle and relief of her waking up, recognizing him and actually _knowing_ him and their lives together as if they'd never missed a day. Later than afternoon she had started to recognize the others, starting with her grandma. Both 'his girls' cried. Tonight it had been Vee which brought a whole new round of tears, smiles and hugs. Patch had yet to let go of her hand or move from his spot next to her bedside. The group had gone out to eat and brought him back dinner and his favorite Starbucks coffee. A few weeks ago they'd have rather twisted a knife in his gut then buy him coffee, somewhere along the line they had started and it hadn't stopped. Patch owed each of them after the rocky relationship they'd all had post Dabria, especially with Bella and Shadow. Saint Rixon and Shadow seemed to have grown quite close through the whole ordeal, leaning on each other for support and comfort of their own, he hadn't been so blind during the time that he didn't notice how their body language was changing. Maybe there was hope for his lil bro after all to let go and move on from his childhood crush. Unrequited love sucked, Patch knew that painful lesson first hand. He hoped that if Rixon decided to go for it that the two of them would be good to each other, he thought they would make a good couple. Shadow was bubbly, happy, full of energy, throwing herself into every project she could get her busy hands involved in. She was finishing fashion school and already had boutiques that were interested in her designs. Shadow had natural talent and Patch intended on paying her back by making a sound financial investment in helping her open and prosper her own business, that had been a long time dream of hers. It was the least he could do, she had a promising talent and she'd been Nora's friends since diapers. Rough patches or not she was still there and she'd been there everyday to visit, even bringing him things she knew or thought he might need. Her extroverted personality would help draw out his broodier, introverted brother. Rixon needed someone to challenge him to open up more and have some fun and humor in his life, let go and live a little without worrying quite so much. Shadow just might be what the doctor ordered and the right person for the job.

Vee and Scott were already insanely happy together, he thought about what he could do for them and decided that since they had had to postpone their dream wedding that once Nora was healed he would drop an anonymous envelope by their place with the cash to cover their lost expenses and the new wedding with a dream honeymoon. He knew where they had wanted to go, but they hadn't been able to afford it, he would book the tickets and accommodations for them and have an envelope with spending cash for them waiting at their destination. It wasn't that money was the answer to everything, Patch knew for a fact that wasn't true, his family was the perfect example of it being false, so was Nora's, but that didn't mean it wasn't helpful.

He had plans for Bella and Angelo as well, no one would be left out that had been there for Nora or him. He had worked his ass off building his own company unknown to others while working a full-time job at Angelo's Advertising Agency where he had just been promoted to partner. In five long or short years, however you chose to look at it, he had managed to acquire more wealth than his parents and the Grey's had combined and when his company hit the public it would take it by storm since it silently led it's field. To the public the company's name was simply listed 'unknown' and 'unknown' was making it to the Fortune 500 list. Whatever their parents thought they had with status and wealth it was _NOTHING_ compared to Patch now, not that he cared. What he cared about was Nora and doing something that made him feel good, made him happy.

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><p><strong>Hmm...Nora knows Patch is keeping something from her, wonder what she thinks it is... Don't forget that Tristan is still not out of the picture, grandma invited him to Nora's welcome home party and Patch still doesn't know... Don't forget to leave your reviews and thank-you again for those who are leaving them and following this story as it winds its way to the end (not yet!)<strong>


	22. Chapter 22-FEAR, DETERMINATION & CHANGE

_**DISCLAIMER: **__**I DO NOT OWN THE HUSH HUSH CHARACTERS, ALL OTHERS ARE MINE.**_

_**THIS CHAPTER: PATCH AND NORA'S THOUGHTS AND FEARS.**_

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><p><em><strong>THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO MY VERY DEDICATED READER AND REVIEWER, <em><strong>NEWEST FRIENDFELLOW NEWBIE AUTHOR, **_NOT TO MENTION INSPIRATION, ENCOURAGER TO CONTINUE. THANKS TO YOUR DEDICATION TO THIS STORY AND PASSION FOR IT I WILL STRIVE HARDER TO TRY AND GIVE YOU SOMETHING WORTHY OF YOUR PRAISE AND YOUR TIME...**_

_**DEDICATED TO:**_

_**~~~BOOKZRMYLIFE~~~**_

_**YOUR REVIEWS AND PM HAVE BRIGHTENED MY DAYS AND BROUGHT ME SMILES ON DAYS NONE WERE TO BE FOUND. **_

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><p><em><strong>THIS IS MY FIRST STORY I HAVE WRITTEN AND IT CONTAINS CHARACTERS AND SITUATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE MAKING IT VERY PERSONAL AND DEAR TO ME. IT WAS BEYOND FRIGHTENING TO POST IT AND IT STILL SOMETIMES TERRIFIES ME SO TO FIND IT MEANS SOMETHING TO SOMEONE ELSE MEANS EVERYTHING. YOUR WORDS ARE BOTH AN HONOR AND BLESSING, I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. FOR THOSE OF YOU READING THIS SHE IS A FELLOW NEW AUTHOR SO PLEASE CHECK OUT HER WORK AND DON'T FORGET REVIEWS HELP KEEP THE STORIES YOU LOVE COMING AND MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE TO THOSE OF US BRAVE ENOUGH TO POST. THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE LEFT REVIEWS AND FUTURE REVIEWERS YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME TY TY TY TY FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.<strong>_

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><p><em><strong>IF YOU LIKE IT REVIEW IT-MY STORIES AND OTHERS<strong>_

_**IF YOU LOVE IT FOLLOW AND FAVORITE IT**_

_**:)YOUR DEDICATION BECOMES OUR DEDICATION :)**_

_**CHAPTER 22**_

_**FEAR, DETERMINATION & CHANGES OF HEART**_

The last look in Nora's eyes before she fell asleep told Patch that she knew he was hiding something from her and she wanted to know what, but for the first time since he'd met her she hadn't asked or pushed him. Part of him was tremendously relieved, he wasn't ready to tell her all he had to say yet, he wanted to make sure he did it right because the risk was already so high that she would take his change of heart wrong believing it pity or guilt instead of what it really was; accepting reality of what had always been right in front of him and in his heart. Looking back at things he could see now that it had always been Nora, he'd never stuck by anyone else and even when he was head over-heels for Dabria, Nora had come first. If his love for her hadn't been greater than his love for Dabria he wouldn't have left his fiancé to drive seven hours full speed to make sure nobody got the once in a lifetime gift of her virginity but him. He realized now that had it been reversed, him being engaged to Nora and Dabria being at prom he never would have made that trip for her, no it was embarrassingly obvious to him that he'd been in love with Nora far longer than he'd thought. How long exactly he didn't know because looking back on things he couldn't pin point the moment it had changed or started. He could tell you when he noticed she was growing up, the changes in her each year and when he stopped seeing her as a little girl and then as his sister, but love...maybe grandma was right and it was the first moment he met Nora. What was most important is Nora believing that, really believing it. Both Patch and Nora's middle names could be 'Stubborn' because they were and if she had even a sliver of doubt there was an enormous possibility she would get pissed and he could lose her forever. Nora didn't want pity. Ever, for anything. If she made a mistake she wanted to own it and learn from it. One of grandma's other big lessons for Patch and Nora was teaching them to not live in regret or seek sympathy and pity for your mistakes. When you receive either of them you have no real incentive to own up to your actions and learn from them. Sympathy allows you to wallow in the problem feeling sorry for yourself like pity does instead of focusing your attention on ways to prevent ever making the same mistake again. How do you grow if you don't admit and face what you did? Clista said it's like trying to solve a math problem you refuse to look at because someone feels sorry you had to do it. You'll never find the solution, you'll always be stuck. It was a priceless lesson and served them well, but in this situation if she misinterpreted things it could seal their fates in a way that would shatter them both. He was terrified.

Nora was the most selfless person he had ever met. She had always put others before her at any cost to herself. He had both admired and hated that. Patch loved that she wasn't selfish, he loved her heart and compassion, but he despised seeing her get hurt just so others could have what they wanted. It killed him knowing that unknowingly he was the one she had been most selfless with, that he was the one that had cost her the most, more than he had already knew he had. How could he have been so blind, so stupid? How could he put her through all of this? What he went through with Dabria had crushed him, what Nora had gone through by being in his life the way she was, loving him the way she did would have shattered and buried someone like him. He never would have been strong enough to do what she had, to sacrifice what she did just to keep the few parts of him he had allowed her. Her family may not be great, hell, he despised them, but they were her family and he knew it hurt her deeply that they weren't close. She'd given up her home, inheritance, trust fund and her money for college, all of it poof, gone, just to follow him knowing he wasn't able/willing to give her what she wanted most. Nora traded it all in to live in a place that rats turned their noses up at and cockroaches didn't even find it fit to live in. It was a dump of the worst kind and the crime was out of control. They weren't in the little town of Coldwater Creek anymore, the part of the city they'd had to live in when first starting out didn't blink an eye at someone getting shot it was such a common occurrence. Patch had been terrified the whole time she would be raped, killed or both. When he'd located her friends, Bella and Shadow he had never been so relieved. He would have done anything to keep her out of that part of town and that living situation no matter what his ill feelings were at the time towards her roommates. She had flat-out refused to live away from him until she moved in with them. He'd missed her like hell, it had been hard, especially in the beginning, but knowing she was safe and fed meant more to him than anything he'd suffer missing her. The fact that they were barely eating and she was getting sick all the time and losing weight had only further motivated him and assured him he had done the right thing. The thing that he found almost as bad or worse looking back on it now, the thing that made him sick was that the whole time he was out whoring around in front of her face she remained steadfast in her love and support of him, she'd never wavered or used it against him no matter how much it had hurt her, he couldn't even imagine or want to the kind of pain and heartbreak that had to cause her. Patch couldn't think of another woman who would have made the choices she made, Dabria certainly wouldn't have. That's the love he had wanted with his ex-fiance, the kind that Clista had told them about growing up and the one he had given up on thinking it was all a lie, tricks, deceit-an illusion or fantasy, definitely not real. He'd never been so wrong. Looking at her he was wracked with guilt. Nora gave him not only her heart, but her body too so many countless time. He'd taken her innocence and unlocked her inner goddess, she'd been a little minx that turned into a full-grown tigress with his encouragement and support of her self-discovery. Patch had suspected on her prom night she had something special in her but he had no way of knowing at the time what the wildcat was capable of once unleashed, she'd shocked him many times during their time together and he had no doubts she'd continue to do so if she'd have him. He was determined to try all he could. Nora made life new, fresh and exciting. She was never boring in the bedroom and could be kinky without being disgusting. He'd wanted to share everything with her, he'd even coaxed her into that threesome because women were the only thing they hadn't shared. She had talked him into role-playing Christian from 50 Shades after she read it, granted all she had to do was mention it was her fantasy with her bright red face and innocent eyes filled with lust and desire mixed with what could have only been described as longing and he'd been helpless to resist, not that he'd wanted to. It wasn't only in the bedroom though, she had fire in her he admired. Nora could be an atomic bomb hidden within her sweet as cotton candy exterior when you hit a nerve. He'd been on the receiving end more times than he'd liked to have been since he had that same fuse in him. Grandma taught them you had to stand for something or you'd fall for anything. They stood unmoving in their loyalty to each other and those they cared about and they worked hard to earn their own way in life. It wasn't a free ride and they wouldn't have wanted it if it had been. You learn the most during your trials and tribulations, that didn't make them fun or pleasant and no one looks forward to them, but without the dark you'd never flourish and revel in the light. Patch had used Bourbon and women to hide the pain and take his mind off things, it was always short-lived and not a solution. It was all a part of the mask he had long ago perfected, the same one he was suspicious had taught Nora how to hide the most sacred part of her and she'd hidden it well. Too well maybe. She was full of surprises he thought as he watched her sleep, wondering what dreams lie behind those eyes.

The thing that Nora had seen in his eyes was his worry over how she would react to his confession, his fear he wouldn't be able to convince her it may have been the accident that opened his eyes, but the reality was that it had always been there, this was real and not pity. He wanted this, wanted a life with her and only her for as long as she would have him. Patch was determined to make her his forever and prove his love for her.

Nora was living with him and the loft wasn't set up to accommodate someone with her injuries. It was narrow halls and sunken and raised rooms that would be hard for her to maneuver while she healed. The first thing he did was buy a spacious penthouse suite for them. It would be easy for her to move around and it had a custom-made kitchen with marble tops that he could cook all of her favorite foods in. The master suite bedroom had a giant bathroom with a huge two person jetted tub for her to relax in and he had it fully stocked with all of her favorite bath and hair essentials and new soft and fluffy ruby-red to quality bath-sheets for her and black for him with a warming rack. By sheer lucky, or simply destiny, the bathroom also had a huge glass shower with three shower heads like Patch loved. The shower had a built-in bench on the wall that wasn't glass that would be perfect for Nora to sit on until she was able to stand safely. The area was well-lit and included an over-sized linen closet, vanity, double sink with lots of counter space and drawers for all of her hair and makeup-not that he liked that war paint, but he respected her right to wear it though hoping she wouldn't.

Patch hadn't spared a single expense decorating and furnishing the suite for them, including having replicas made or ordered of her favorite furniture from his loft like the couches, chairs and bed. He hoped she would fall in love with the space as well as the magnificent view the upscale place had. The building was luxury and impeccably maintained with doormen, security and elevators so she wouldn't be hindered by stairs and included full amenities. It would be perfect even after she healed and they could live there as long as they would like. Patch couldn't believe he'd located a place that fit their needs so well, it was even decorated with his favorite chromatic color scheme of navy, black and gray/silver and black granite. Like the loft it had a giant fireplace in the living room. The place seemed to be made just for them.

Patch's long-term plan if she forgave and accepted him was to ask him to do the great honor of cherishing her as his wife and lifelong companion, then they could build their dream how wherever she wanted to live, he didn't care he could leave the advertising agency now and run his prospering company from home anywhere. Secretly he hoped that their dream home would include extra room for the kids he was sure she dreamed about and he found himself once again longing for. Patch had buried those sort of dreams back with Dabria, falsely believing he had the perfect male lifestyle with everything he needed, freedom to do as he wanted, sleep with whoever he wanted and his best friend and stability at his side in Nora. Sure he had never figured out how to completely numb the pain no matter what, but all in all he had thought he had it all. If only he had known what life could look and feel like, if only he had realized, but he knew as sure as the sky was blue and the grass was green that he hadn't been ready before. Clista had told him during one of their heart to hearts that sometimes with tragedy comes a deeper awareness that allows for growth and rebuilding that would never have come without it. It's during our weakest periods that we find how truly strong we are and in our losses or near losses that we find the true beauty and appreciation for what we have. It removes the blinders. He hated the thought she might have been put through this to open his damn eyes, but now that they were open he'd refuse to ever shut them again...Which brought him back to his original dilemma and fear, how to tell her in a way that she would believe he'd had an honest eye opener to what had always been there that had lead to a change of mind and heart. She was going to want to know how he now knew her feelings, he was sure of that, and likely she would jump to the conclusion that it was guilt over his behavior creating his false epiphany. He did have guilt, it could consume him it was so bad if he let it but that would defeat his progress and prevent his future dreams. There most definitely was a long road ahead of them if this could go anywhere, there would likely be hurdles, that's life, but Nora had stood by him and not given up in his ugliest of ugly moments and now he wouldn't think of ever giving up on here, not even in a million years even if she asked him to, he'd love her from a distance if he had to. He'd gone three weeks without sex or even thinking about it and the whole time he had nurses galore vying for his attention, finding any excuse to be in the room or talk to him. The one's he would have taken to bed in an instant before he didn't even notice, in fact he didn't notice any of them, not that way. Patch hadn't gone a night hardly at all without sex at least once with one or two girls since losing his virginity, but as of now he'd go celibate if she asked him to in order for her to commit to him, she'd have to deal with a porn addiction he thought with a smirk at his own joke. Nora wouldn't be getting the kids that way either, but joke or not it was a testament for how far he would go for her and how far he had come for a man living committed to his former lifestyle.

Patch realized he must have dozed off somewhere among those thoughts because he woke up with a feeling of being watched before he had opened his eyes. He already knew who that would be, his heart skipping a beat at the thought that it wasn't all a dream, she really was awake. When his eyes opened and met hers he saw that the soft gray doe eyes were lit up with sparkles that were dancing with excitement so strong it was contagious and he had to grin with her. What had brought this on, he wondered. Before he could say anything she launched into how she was remembering not only people now but more and more memories with them and what was happening right before her accident. She was deeply concerned and wanted to know about her sister's wedding since she was the maid of honor and she rightly assumed the wedding Vee had planned had been postponed causing Vee costing her sister her special day. Patch quickly explained it was taken care of she didn't have to worry, a new date of their choice was being set and they didn't have to pay for anything. Once she was healed and able to safely take her place next to her sister at the altar they would exchange their vows. He left out the part of how it was him that would be financing the celebration. She was so happy about her memories and it was fantastic news, she was on the road to recovery. Patch didn't fail to notice though that for all of her talk about people she remembered and memories she'd forgotten one big thing...her parents. She hadn't mentioned them once. Did that mean she didn't remember them yet or that she just wasn't ready to deal with them? Either way he wasn't going to risk upsetting her by asking and possibly stressing her when she was making astounding progress.

Nora didn't tell him that as the medicine was leaving her system she had started to connect the dots and came to the painful conclusion that the voices that had come with the bitter cold and blinding snow storm were those of her parents and while he slept she had summoned a nurse to ensure that at least for now there would be no more visits allowed by them. Nora wanted no part in exploring what that all meant right now while she was feeling so good about her progress. She kept that from Patch because even as he slept and in her state of not being back to normal yet she could read him as easily as before and it was plain to see that her accident had taken a real toll on the love of her life. There were circles under his eyes that had never been there and he had lost some weight, his body was tightened up and tense instead of peaceful as he slumbered. He always had an expression of a sweet innocent little boy when he was sleeping, totally relaxed and at peace, now he looked exhausted, beat down and drug through the mud. It was also very obvious to her that something was eating him up, worrying him. Nora didn't want to add to that by sharing negative news so she kept it to herself like she did the memories of how her parents had put Vee in the miserable position of being between their parents and her, but more and more she'd noticed her sister distancing herself from Blythe and Harrison. They had forced her into trying business school since Nora was not going to be an option. She had decided she'd had enough, she wasn't going to take over for their father and switched schools to major in art, her passion. Vee had excelled in school in any medium her art teacher introduced her to, where she struggled in other classes she was unfaltering in art. Their parents had shattered her dreams back then, calling art nonsense and a waste of time. They told her she would never amount to anything or be able to support herself and went as far as destroying her art equipment and ripping up her work one day when she was at school. Seeing the life Nora was building for herself on her own inspired her and with Scott's support she finally started to follow her own dream and not Blythe and Harrison's for her future. Much to her surprise and delight she was already finding huge success, her work was being shown at art gallery's as one of the top new and upcoming artist showing real promise. The art critics were calling her the artist to watch out for. Nora was at peace with her decisions even though their was pain in not having a relationship with their parents she had never had that so there wasn't much of a difference. Vee had taken the Grey's grooming to heart and when Nora left the family she was caught in the crossfire that tore her apart. The girls parents pretended to love and care for "their only child and heir", forbidding a relationship between Vee and Nora saying that Nora would be a negative influence on her older sister and bring her down with her. The tug of war over her had nearly cost the sisters their relationship but things were different now, Vee had no intentions of going back to that way of life, even if it meant following in her little sisters footsteps and being disowned by the family. The accident had reaffirmed how much Nora meant to her, who her real family was that sincerely loved and cared for her and who would be there for her and who would not.

Patch continued to remain steadfast at her bedside as she continued to heal, holding her hand as if she might suddenly disappear. He still insisted on sponge bathing her and when she the Doctor said she could move around some and shower he demanded to be the one to help her. As much as Nora valued her independence she relished the moments he pampered her with loving care and attention. Patch had seen her naked enough that there was no reason for her to object or feel uncomfortable. Better him than a stranger. Those moments he was close to her like that were priceless as were all the things that the nurses informed her he had done to care for her needs while she was unconscious. He was so patient, gentle and loving, knowing exactly what she liked and he skillfully kept her casts dry and her IV sites cared for.

There was one enormous difference...Patch wasn't touching her intimately, not even teasingly, nor was he making his constant stream of sexual advances and innuendos. She knew he had a secret, something he was scared to tell and she was afraid that he had lost interest in her. Was that his big secret, he didn't want to continue their intimate relationship anymore? Had seeing her this way or worse had he found someone else? Patch had never behaved this way and she was more scared than ever that she was losing him. Whatever was going on she was determined to find the truth and it had better not be guilt over their fight before she had taken off. Or had her biggest fear, that he would find someone new become a reality? Had he had a change of heart while she was unconscious and given it to someone else? Had she lost him for good this time?

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><p><strong>What do you guys think? I love your reviews so plz continue to feed my muse, it helps me stay motivated to update faster for you. Don't forget to check out my other stories and let me know what you think.<strong>

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

**Grandma's heart to hearts helped Patch, can they help Nora too or will grandma make things? Can she put Nora's mind at ease without giving anything away or will she make things worse?**


	23. Chapter 23-PLEASE, NOT AGAIN!

_**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, NOT EVEN THE HUSH HUSH CHARACTERS :(**_

_**THIS CHAPTER: NORA IS GOING HOME TOMORROW, BUT FIRST SHE HAS AN INTERROGATION, GRANDMA IS ON THE HOT SEAT. WILL SHE MAKE THINGS BETTER LIKE SHE ALWAYS DOES, OR WILL SHE SAY SOMETHING SHE REGRET? LOOKS LIKE BOTH PATCH AND NORA HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR EACH OTHER... READ AND REVIEW...PLEEEEEEAAAAASE! :) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO ALL WHO READ/REVIEW/FOLLOW OR FAVORITE! I LOVE YOU GUYS 3**_

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><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 24<strong>_

_**PLEASE, NOT AGAIN!**_

I can tell by the way that grandma and Patch have been talking that the close bond they've always had has been magnified. If anyone would know what's going on with him it would likely be her. Aside from me, she's the one he is close to. The problem is going to be getting her alone, the one thing that hasn't changed is our friendship, Patch is loyal and protective of me to a fault, in fact, if I hadn't known him my whole life I'd be afraid and probably filing a restraining order because his 'protective instinct' has morphed into something bordering scary, Nora chuckled to herself. It was sweet that he cared so much she'd been hurt, even if it was a little too much maybe, he meant well.

Clista stopped by for her daily visit and when Patch dozed off in 'his chair' Nora wrote a small note she could pass to her grandma asking her to please try to send him on an errand, maybe home to gather more clothes for him and something for her like her own fluffy bathrobe, anything her grandma could think of that might give them a few moments alone to talk.

Since Patch wasn't forthcoming in what was going on she was going to find; it was interrogation time and grandma was about to be on the hot seat. She was even considering pulling Vee and Rixon in on it if she needed to. She wasn't sure how helpful they would be though, especially Rixon, since the brothers had never been that close after meeting Nora, she was a deep divide between them. Patch had something Rixon had always wanted, Nora. Rixon had tried persuading, pleading, bullying and then guilting her into a relationship he wanted to result in marriage through the years, and while she loved him, more as a brother and or casual friend, Nora never would have been with him, not even if she hadn't been in love with Patch. Rixon didn't understand that though, in his eyes it was Patch that was the problem and that was that. They had a solid, but shaky relationship now, they would always be there for each other, never let the other brother suffer because that's the way Clista had raised them to be and had Rixon been old enough and able he would have helped his big brother when he was booted out of their family, trouble was he was really too young and he to this day is pretty well under their fathers thumb. That made him a last ditch effort since he probably wouldn't have anything to add, interrogation or not, Nora thought.

What Nora didn't know about the 'Scooby Doo Gang' is that while she was unconscious grandma wasn't the only one noticing the changes in Patch. They had too. Unlike Nora, they saw it clear as day for what it was...Patch had finally taken his freakin' blinders off and saw what he'd missed all those years and could lose at any moment. They knew how much that would mean for the two of them given their history together, especially for Nora since she had loved Patch and wanted him to make her his for so long, putting up with even his rottenest behavior. They were starting to see what Nora had long known was lying buried inside of Patch under all his hurt, pain and pretenses, a man who would give his whole heart completely and freely, loving his partner more than the air he needed to survive. He had an old fashion love in a new age time, he was protective, loving, nurturing and supportive of Nora. They hadn't realized to what extent he still offered her those things previous to the accident, now they did and they had watched it bloom into something even more extraordinary. It looked to them that Nora may finally get back exactly what she had always hoped for, all her dreams coming true...that is if Patch ever got up the nerve to actually tell Nora... The gang had thought about taking bets on how long it would take him and what her first reaction would be, but in the end they had decided against it, it wasn't worth the risk of bringing them bad luck.

From the moment Nora had woken up and looked into Patch's hypnotizing eyes and gorgeous face she saw fear and another emotion she couldn't place, one he had never had with her before. The only thing she could think to describe it as being similar to is the way he used to look at Dabria before things came to light, back when he was in love with her. That couldn't be though, he wouldn't be giving _her_ that look, it was slightly different though so she thought she might be way off on what the emotion was behind the look. The one she was certain of was the fear in his eyes. He couldn't hide that, it stood out like a giant neon flashing light because Patch Cipriano had no fear...ever. So what could he possible be afraid to tell her, especially when it came to her, his best friend? They told each other everything, the only thing she kept from him was her dreams of a married life with him, her being **_in_ **love with him and not just loving him, that couldn't be his secret though, she knew that that was her secret and not a secret he would have.

When Patch excused himself to the restroom Nora slipped her grandma the note she had written. Clista read it and with a slight nod of her head gave Nora a look that said she would try her best. She had an idea that she knew what Nora wanted to talk about and there wasn't much she was going to share, it wasn't her place to divulge Patch's information and secrets. He had the right to tell Nora the things he had learned and decisions he had made about changing himself and their relationship, grandma believed. Clista thought she could at least alleviate some of the fear she saw in her grand-baby's eyes though. If she had only known then what she would find out later, if she had known her words were going to be misconstrued she would have found a way to word it differently. Soon it would be too late...

Patch rejoined them and after a little bit of visiting between the three of them and following Nora's routine rounds check up by the doctor, Clista spoke up.

"Patch dear, I haven't gotten any alone time with my sweet granddaughter and us girls have some catching up to do. She's going home tomorrow so maybe you could go by your place and get you both a change of clothes for her trip home and swing by my house on your way back if you wouldn't mind, I forgot one of my important medication that has to be taken at the exact time each day and I can't miss it. I would be grateful if you would pick it up and bring it with you, Stud." Clista gave him her sweetest smile and the puppy dog eyes that her granddaughter had learned from her. If there was anyone who could get him to leave Nora's side for more than the bathroom or shower it would _only _be their grandma. Patch knew how important her medicine was and she was right, Nora was going to need clothes to go home in, even though he had planned on sending one of the girls to pick her out an outfit. Nora wasn't going to die so there wasn't a concrete reason why he _had _to stay so he grudgingly agreed, besides, the fresh air would be nice so with a kiss to Nora's hand, cheeks, nose and forehead he headed off to gather the things grandma had asked for.

As soon as Nora was sure that Patch was out of hearing range she turned her gaze directly on her grandma and with her eyes locked on hers she said two little words.

"Spill it."

Clista knew exactly what Nora meant, but what could she say without giving Patch's feelings for her granddaughter away and yet relieve the fear she saw on her face? Patch had a right to tell Nora what he wanted to when he was ready, not her. She was struggling with how to word things when Nora spoke up. Never in her life had Clista struggled with the right words to say.

"He's found someone else again hasn't he, grandma?" She implored her, her heartache clear in her eyes and voice.

"No, not exactly dear." Clista tried to reassure her with her cryptic answer. Not at all sure she was going to succeed yet.

"Not exactly? What does that even mean?" Nora narrowed her eyes at Clista. "It's someone who he knew before, isn't it? One of those girls, that reporter? It had better not be Dabria or I swear I will..." Grandma cut her off.

"No honey, this person has been in his life for a very very long time." Nora missed the sparkle in her grandma's eyes, instead she was lost in thought for a moment sifting through memories for a name of who he still had contact with from long ago as she toyed with the hem of her blanket.

"Is he in love with her?" Her voice was thick with her fear that was building into panic. This couldn't be happening again, please God, don't let it happen again. She didn't think she could survive another Dabria, even if it was true love on the ladies part.

"Yes, I would dare say that a person couldn't be more in love with someone than he is with her. He has finally grown up and is ready to give up his naughty bachelor days to settle down with her and raise a family together, that is if she will accept him and agree to it."

Nora gazed out the hospital window as tears stung her eyes, she was happy for him, of course she was, he was her best friend how could she not want that for him...or at least she was _trying_ to be happy for him. Here she was again though, about to have her heart shattered for the final time as he gave himself to this woman who wasn't her. After all they had been through together and all the women she had watched walk in and out of his bed her biggest fear, the one that crippled her and chilled her to the bone was coming true and there was nothing she could do...she was losing him, or at least his heart to this woman from long ago, whoever she was. This time it sounded sincere, permanent. The way her grandma had said it was as if she already knew and loved this woman! Nora felt so many things all at once, betrayal, loss, grief, happiness and love for him, jealousy, confusion, regret...so many things flashing through her.

"Nora, tragedy has a way of changing people, changing how they look and respond to things. You know that _nothing_ and I mean _nothing _could ever come between you and Patch. He hasn't left your side in all the weeks you've been here. These chairs aren't built for comfort or lengthy stay's, but he had to be at your side holding your hand the whole time. Give him some credit dear, he will come around and tell you everything himself when he feels you are both ready. Just remember this, the best things come to those who wait when they least expect it and the things you wait for, the things you fight for, those are the things that are worth it, the things that are priceless.

Nora looked up from her wallowing just in time to catch a small smile and glint in her grandma's eyes. She knew more than she was letting on, Nora was certain of it and narrowed her eyes. Whatever it was, she didn't seem upset by it and she didn't look like she thought Nora would be either...hmm... What did that mean? If Nora wasn't already a mess now she was confused too. Why couldn't anyone just give her a straight answer?

Clista wanted to change the subject fast because she was in immediate danger of spilling everything she knew, she didn't keep secrets from Nora and she could see the storm of emotions in her granddaughters eyes. She felt she may have already said more than she should have.

"I think your friend Shadow has formed quite the...friendship...with Rixon since you have been in here."

Nora knew her grandma was deflecting, but if she felt Nora should wait for Patch then she had her reasons and it would be best in the long run to listen to her grandma's wisdom. She was just going to have to wait. Besides, the tone her grandmother spoke in let her know she wasn't going to get anymore information out of her right now.

"Really? I guess I never thought of them together, they have such opposite personalities. In all these years us kids have known each other I think they might have spent a total of twenty minutes together." She laughed as she considered broody Rixon with her friend, Shadow, the energizer bunny. "It would make sense that if anyone could bring Rixon out of himself and infuse some fun and good cheer it would be Shadow, and Rixon was down to earth enough that he could help keep her grounded in reality."

"The best couples are the one's that challenge each other to grow, that push us to be greater each day with their love and support, not the one's who are identical to us. Those relationships don't offer growth or opportunities for it, it may be comfortable, but who wants to settle for comfort when they can have love and passion with some spice in their life?" Her grandma's eyes danced at the last part. Clista definitely still had that passion and spice for life that her grandfather had carefully helped her cultivate throughout their entire marriage.

"Don't forget your welcome home party will be this weekend, your friends have put a lot of work into it." Clista had already given the invite to Tristan for Nora's party. She was going to give him one warning and if he didn't heed it she was sending him to talk to Patch so Patch could set the record straight on who owned whose heart now. If Tristan insisted on doing things the hard way she'd love to be a fly on the wall to hear what Patch would have to say, he had just admitted he wanted to make Nora his in the only way she hadn't been, and Clista knew he wasn't going to take kindly to being challenged now or ever.

Nora fell quiet again, lost in her thoughts and grandma for the second time in her life and in that day wasn't quite sure what to say. She was deeply concerned that her talk with her granddaughter might have been to stressful and depressing for her so soon. She felt like she might have made things worse instead of making them better for Nora. She was desperately trying to think of ways to salvage the situation when Patch returned with all the items she had requested. Saved by the bell!

"Are you okay, Angel?" Patch asked. He was concerned, she had avoided looking at him when he came in the room for the first time since she had opened her eyes. She was either lost in thought over something that was disturbing her, or she was upset with him. What had happened while he was gone, he wondered. Patch turned to Clista who just gave him a reassuring smile before quickly excusing herself for the night.

"I'm fine." Nora answered him quietly. Patch knew that 'fine' meant she was anything _but_ fine, he also knew that the tone in her voice said she wasn't going to be opening up about what was wrong, at least not right now. He changed the subject.

"Are you excited to spring this place and go home tomorrow?" He was as excited as he was nervous about her release. He hoped that she would be open to staying in the Penthouse and love it as much as he had. He really did want to spoil her.

Nora glanced up at him and briefly met his eyes before looking away again. That meant she was still upset by whatever was bothering her, but when she spoke her voice held excitement and relief.

"As a matter of fact I am, it's like being in a prison in here, I don't know how you stood it for so long. I'm tired of them waking me up all the time and poking and prodding me. From now on when people say they'll get some rest in the hospital I'm going to correct them and tell them that is a lie. They _say _you need your rest in here, but then they don't give you any and the machines are loud. The food they serve wouldn't even be served in a maximum security prison, they'd consider it cruel and unusual punishment. Plus, I can't wait to get out of this ugly gown and into my own clothes again. There's nothing like your favorite comfy outfit compared to...well...this." She motioned her hands towards the hospital gown in disgust.

Patch rolled his eyes. "You're beautiful no matter what you're wearing, Angel, I'd find you sexy in a gunny sack or a paper bag, though I'd prefer you not cover your head. Your eyes captivate and hypnotize." He gave her his sexiest of smirks, the one promising the kind of trouble every lover wants and his eyes twinkled with mischief and love as he winked at Nora.

Nora's mouth fell open slightly at the shock of him flirting with her again for the first time since her accident. That genuine smile/smirk on his face and his warm and deep chuckle melted her heart. The way he looked at her was as if his feelings _hadn't_ chained, not in a way to suggest he had found love with another woman. Patch still had that mystery look in his eyes though, the one she couldn't name.

Nora tried to remember back to what her grandma had said, something about people changing or things changing people. Had he changed so much from her accident that she couldn't read him any longer? That thought frightened her, they'd always been able to communicate without words, as if their minds were speaking to each other. Before leaving Clista had given her her patented 'don't worry dear' look she had, just like when she had bought him at the auction for her...

"Angeeel, woooohoooo! Earth to Nora! What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" Patch was starting to panic. What had her so lost in thought all of a sudden that she avoided his eyes and often his face when they spoke now, and a minute ago she was staring off in space again not hearing a word he was saying. Nora had always paid attention to him, zeroing everything else out _but_ him when they were together, especially when they were talking. Was she avoiding him, trying to give him a brush off without hurting his feelings? Had her feelings changed? Was he too late? God he prayed not. The way she was lost in space and avoiding he could tell she was deep deep in thought over something she wasn't sharing, at least not yet, and that made him very nervous. However, she had a death grip on his hand, refusing to let go of it which told him that his presence was needed, wanted even, and she didn't want him to leave, but something had his Angel stressed and he hated that.

Slowly Patch made his way from his chair to sit next to her carefully on her hospital bed. He avoided her IV and snuggled up to her, letting her rest her head on his chest over his heart while he held her as securely as he could without hurting her. After a time of sitting like that quietly together, both of their minds busy he kissed the op of her head.

"You know Angel, no one could ever replace you or change the love I have for you, right? You can talk to me about _anything _no matter what it is. Even if it's something like, I don't know, making me your next of kin and Power Of Attorney." He winked at her when her head snapped up and she looked at him with her big dove-gray doe eyes. The realization hit her he hadn't known and now he did.

Nora had definitely forgotten all about that. She had those papers drawn up a long time ago and only her grandma had known they existed...until now. Nora hadn't ever thought something would happen to her or that he or anyone else would find out, she was just playing it safe, being the responsible person she had always been. Cat's out of the bag now, she thought. She gazed up at him through her thick, long luscious eyelashes, pulling out all the stops with her best puppy dog face that she knew he found almost impossible to resist.

"You're not mad are you? That I forgot to tell you? That was a long time ago when we were first disowned that grandma helped me have them drawn up so we would know I'd be taken care of. There is no one I trust more with my life than you."

Had her eyes stayed locked on his, Nora would have seen that look of love in them and the tears that stung his eyes and maybe she would have put two and two together, but her eyes were drooping and she missed it. Patch thought about what it would have been like to have to exercise those rights, to have to decide on life support, organ donation or vegetative states. If he had lost her he would have lost his life in the sense that she was life to him, like the air he breathed in order to survive he needed Nora to _truly_ live. Life without Nora wouldn't be life at all, he had only just figured out what that _truly _meant, how deep it went. She may have known all along about her love for him, but both of theirs was new to him. Patch felt her breathing even out and looked down to see his heartbeat had lulled his Angel to sleep, just like all the other times before in the years past. He watched her as she slept, her angelic face. She looked so at peace, as if she had no worries, instead she felt safe and sound. She fit perfectly snug to his body like two pieces of a puzzle. He could spend a lifetime studying her like this, but soon his eyelids grew heavy too and he dropped off into a deep sleep still holding her.

Nora's nurse stopped by to check on her and saw them curled up together and gathered the other nurse's to look at how sweet Patch and Nora looked. It was against hospital policy to allow anyone else in the patients beds, but not one of the nurses were willing to separate them after all the young couple had been through, after all Patch had done for Nora, proving his love for her. She would be going home the next day anyhow so they quietly shut the door and for the first time in seven weeks they were allowed to find peace and comfort again in each others arms.

Nora had been in the hospital for a long time, seven long weeks due to her extensive injuries and coma. She had two casts that would be removed before leaving for home, she would be very weak and need a lot of help. Everyone, including her and Patch knew that it would be him that cared for her. There was no way he would allow anyone else to even entertain the idea of someone else doing _his _job.

Nora had awoken first and as she watched Patch sleep the next morning she wondered to herself what he was doing with his job. How had he been there with her, never leaving her side and work so he could pay all of their bills? She had seen him on his computer and talking quietly, but intently to someone before hanging up and focusing back on her. What was that about? She knew it wasn't personal by his tone and body language. Patch still hadn't left other than for her grandmother the day before. She ran the tip of her index finger down the contoures of his beautiful face. He looked so sweet and innocent when he slept, like he hadn't been through hell and back again, experiencing things no one his age should ever have to go through. Nora knew all too well what he had been through, she had been at his side the whole time.

Nora placed a soft kiss against his smooth skin and her heart lurched and ached in her chest, wondering about this 'new love' that _wasn't _so new. She thought for the billionth time how very much she wanted him to be hers and hers alone, especially after all they had just gone through together. Did this 'not new' woman know about all of that? Nora had never heard him talk to anyone that sounded like a relationship conversation on his phone during her recovery, nor had she seen him texting anyone. That's interesting she thought, what could that mean, women as a general rule would most _definitely __**not **_want 'their man' caring for another woman the way he had been her, especially if they had a 'benefits' sort of relationship like her and Patch. They would also be demanding to at least talk every so often...Nora was lost in those thoughts when she felt those penetrating eyes on her once more and she smiled.

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><p><strong>Alrighty peeps, there you go, your newest chapter. What do you think? There is a lot of confusion going on, will Patch get the nerve up to talk to Nora in time? I know this internal dialogue has been dragging and I apologize for that, however Nora is going home in the next chapter, her 'new home' that she is unaware of, how will she react to that? Her welcome home party will be in this next chapter and we know who was invited by grandma Clista to attend... Please continue to review, let me know what you think, am I doing okay for my first story? Do you feel like you know these characters like you know your friends? Have I given you enough to guess how each might react or is it too much? I love and value your feedback and your comments, compliments and encouragement both light up my days, give me smiles, encourage me, inspire me, help me to writeupdate. It makes my whole day when I get a review so PLEASE! READ AND REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! TY TY TY TY FOR READING AND TO THOSE WHO HAVE OR ARE REVIEWING :)**

**Please check out my other stories:**

**1. Damaged-Patch and Nora have been best friends since they were tiny kids and are now Juniors in high school. Patch's dad died when he was young and his now deceased mother was a drunk and abusive. Nora was the one who gave him a safe place to stay, food to eat and a shoulder to lean on when no one else cared. Nora's parents have many problems leading to a rotten home life. Together Patch and Nora form 'team badass' and rebel, often at school (think colored dye in the school pool), but they target those that have it coming to them, not innocent students and people. They really are all they can lean on, each others only real friend/family. As Nora's mom wants her to marry a guy she hates, he is a hot shot chouvenistic sexiest pig, but his dad is the mayor and that's good for the Grey's standing in the community. To get her mom and Dante off of her back she has Patch pose as her boyfriend, but when her world starts to quickly spiral out of control and high school drama happens will they survive the aftermath together as friends, as more than friends or will it cost them their relationship all together? *will have lemons, has drama, language, mild drinking and marijuana use* You were warned...**

**2. Inevitable- Patch and Nora have been best friends since birth and neighbors, when lust hits and both are plagued with improper dreams and fantasies of their best friend will they act on impulse or fight to keep each other as friends? Will things change when tragedy strikes and life ends as they've always known it? Who is Sargent Grey and why is he so interested in Patch and Nora's well being? Why does Nora have a different last name than the man she KNOWS is her biological father? Will her mother ever be released from the mental hospital her father, Hank Miller, drove her into? *LEMONS! ADULTS ONLY!*-this one is popular, but it takes me longer to update so please bare with me, I will finish it and I work on it often, but the story plot I like and as a new writer I want to do it justice and that may take me time. I want to give you the best I can with the lack of experience I have. This is a story I am posting without a rough draft written, Follow Your Heart and Damaged have both been all drafted out in detail so I can update a whooooole lot faster. **

**3. You Came With Him But You're Leaving With Me- Patch is a fallen angel who wants Nora so when his best friend Rixon and her best friend Vee who are dating throw a little gathering and invite Nora and her boyfriend, Scott who is a nephilium like Vee to have shots and play a game of spin the bottle dares with a goal of helping Patch and Nora get together by Daring them to more and more intimate acts will it work? Will Scott's presence and Patch's date for the night, Dabria who is in love with him, affect the outcome? Did she come with Scott and leave with Patch...willingly?-*MAJOR BIG TIME LEMONS AS EACH DAY GOES BY! ADULTS ONLY!***

**4. Black Jack, Strip Man, Kiss, Tic Tac Toe-LEMONY GOODNESS ONE SHOTS FOR YOU ONE SHOT MA FANS**

**IF YOU LIKE THEM PLZ REVIEW THEM, IT'S THE ONLY WAY AS A NEW WRITER I WILL KNOW WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT AND WHAT TO WORK ON. :) DON'T FORGET TO FAV/FOLLOW IF YOU LIKE A STORY**

**TY TY TY-XOXO~~FALLING4THEFALLEN~~**

***IF YOU LIKE THE BOOKS 'IMMORTAL INSTRUMENTS' OR ARE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER GREAT NEW AUTHOR CHECK OUT MY NEW FRIEND BOOKZRMYLIFE AND HER FIRST FANFIC ON JACE/CLARY- THESE WAKING DREAMS-It's her first story and the characters are well developed with a great plot unfolding that will be unexpected so give it a read and review :) Inspire her to continue and build her talent, I'd hate to lose a fanfic author with her potential 3**


	24. Chapter 24- WELCOME HOME

_**DISCLAIMER:**__** ALL HUSH HUSH CHARACTERS BELONG TO BECCA FITZPATRICK**_

_**THIS CHAPTER: NORA GOES HOME, ***LEMON***, A WELCOME HOME PARTY...ENTER TRISTAN MILLER**_

_**I know that some of you are frustrated with Nora's oblivious nature since waking up, keep in mind she just 'woke up' she is on heavy doses of pain medication...doesn't make her the most observant or clear thinking person, just keep it in mind. She's getting better though so hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter.. read and review!**_

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><p><em><strong><span>CHAPTER 25<span>**_

_**WELCOME HOME**_

"Good morning, Angel." Patch gave me a slow and sexy smile. "I'm going to let the nurse know you're awake so they can get those uncomfortable looking casts off you while I complete your papers. then I can help you get cleaned up, dressed and we can spring this cell. Sound good to you?"

"Sounds perfect." Nora smiled back at Patch whose eyes were dancing with excitement.

Before leaving the room in search of a nurse he placed a kiss on both of Nora's cheeks, eyelids, forehead, nose and the chaste of kisses, like a butterfly's touch to her lips.

"I love you, Angel." Patch whispered with his eyes close, and with that he was gone. God may move in mysterious ways, but Patch had just moved like lightning, he was there and gone in a flash before Nora had time to process what he had just said.

Patch had always let her know he loved her, but to directly say it wasn't his style. Ever. They had a secret language of their own, certain things they would say at certain times that were almost as good as the three little words themselves. Almost. When they were intimate together and he wanted to say it and couldn't, when she wanted to say I love you and couldn't they said 'hi', it wasn't adequate, it wasn't romantic, it wasn't a lot of things, but it was right for them in that moment and both knew what the other couldn't express. That was so unlike Patch, to say he loved her like that, Nora thought maybe it was her pain medication, she was still on a lot of it and things had probably been passing by her unnoticed or without her full understanding. It happens when you've been in a coma and you're all drugged up, but she was almost sure he had said those three little words that held all the power in the world. Then again, maybe not, he was there than gone so fast it was hard to tell. She didn't have time to replay it or decipher it before the nurse was there getting ready to remove her casts and chatting away with her. No sooner had the chatty nurse removed her casts and Patch was back from filling out papers and ready to help Nora with her shower. It was still hard for her to have him see her this way, and now with the casts removed her skin looked a little funny and she had lost some muscle tone under where they had been.

Even with her IV out and casts off Patch was careful and gentle with Nora, helping her in the shower and to clean up. It killed him to see the bruises that were left, mostly faded they were still a painful reminder of how close he had come to losing her, but he fought hard to not let her see his internal struggle. When she was finished he gave her her favorite comfy outfit: black yoga pants, a form-fitting lilac V-neck t-shirt and a zip up hoodie that she left open since it was warm outside. God Patch loved that outfit, not only did it look great on her, showing off her curves, but it wasn't a hospital gown and as sexy as she'd always look to him that outfit spelled 'we are going home' and that was the best news they'd had in two months. The expression on Nora's face was relaxed but excited, she looked so much better than she had the first few weeks, part of that she owed to having stayed in shape through regular exercise. They still liked to go out dancing together, he liked those nights, feeling her wrapped all over his body like he had taught her all those years ago. He couldn't wait to make more of those memories with her.

As adults who were both fully in command of their own sexuality and who knew each others body and spirit so fully, they moved with a fluid grace together that had people noticing and clearing the floor to observe them. They were beautiful together, Nora was graceful like a swan and Patch moved with the power, agility and predatory sleekness of a black panther...they were art in motion. They had even been offered positions to teach dance which would make them laugh, they weren't instructors they were connoisseurs of dance, they enjoyed the dressing up, going out, having time together. Nora looked forward to time away from school, homework and her job to have a night out of fun with Patch and Patch loved showing Nora off, though it was a full-time job keeping other men away. They enjoyed all forms of dance so they would go to different locations, not the same club every time. Sometimes it was nice to waltz or dance salsa, other times they were in the mood for pounding beats, flashing lights and lyrics that encouraged grinding bodies and roving hands. No matter where they went or what they were doing the two of them had enough sexual tension to set any room on fire and even the blind would be able to see it. It had started with the salsa competition and hadn't stopped yet.

"Are you ready?" Patch asked once everything was packed and she was situated with new pain medication in her for the ride home.

"Yes I am." She smiled at him...until an orderly wheeled in a wheelchair.

"You have got to be kidding me." She muttered. "I can walk, I'll just need to take rest breaks."

"Hospital policy, ma'am." The orderly told her.

She grumbled the whole way out of the hospital, now that was the feisty girl that Patch knew and loved. He had teased her along the way about having the orderly leave the wheelchair for her to use at home. She hadn't found that funny, she'd punched him in the leg as he walked beside her since she couldn't reach his arm. To appease her he offered to carry her the whole way bridal style with a naughty look on his face as he winked at her. Nora had shown her age and maturity at that point by respectfully sticking out her tongue making him and the man wheeling her wheelchair laugh.

"Any excuse to get your hands on my body." Nora rolled her eyes.

"I can think of other things I'd like to do to your body with my hands than carry it." Came his wicked response that had her blushing ten shades of red to match the natural highlights in her hair.

Nora's pain medication was making her head really foggy, but they had enjoyed each others company, even fighting over the music until she realized they weren't heading back towards the loft, instead they were getting deeper into the ritziest part of the city.

"Why are we here? I thought we were going home." She asked.

Patch said the first thing that came to mind and given her anxieties in the first half of the week what he said was one of the worst things he could have. He had wanted it to be a surprise...well she was surprised alright.

"Oh, we are, there's just someone I want you to meet before we go to the loft. I hope you don't mind, you're not too tired or in pain are you?" He glanced over at her, but Nora was staring out the window trying to focus on anything but what was going through her head and heart or looking at him.

_Shit, shit, shit,_ she thought. Here it is, her biggest fear coming true and the asshole hadn't even let her go home and adjusted before dropping a bomb on her like this?! She was still healing, she was fuzzy in her head from the Dilauded they had given her and she was moving slowly and painfully when up and walking about. Her anger boiled inside, but being the best friend she plastered on a smile a two second smile she flashed him and went right back to gazing out the window before he could see she was anything but happy.

When they had arrived at their destination the doorman and security greeted him by his name. _Isn't that just great, he must have spent a lot of time here to be on a first name basis with the staff._ She thought bitterly. When though? He was always with her or at work, unless he had lied to her. Nora narrowed her eyes at him, he hadn't left her side in two months so when had he been here? Before she could think anything more Patch scooped her up in his arms, caring her bridal style through the doors as the valet parked and through the grand foyer to the elevators. She knew she shouldn't but she couldn't help it, curled tightly in his arms she nuzzled his neck, soaking up the scent that was pure Patch that she loved so much. Idly she wondered if this was a countdown to her feeling his muscular body around hers, the way his abs, pecs, biceps and forearms rippled their appreciation along with his back in their moments of passion for the last time. He really did have the body of a God, one she had fully appreciated on countless occasions. He had endless amounts of stamina and yet she was the one woman who could wear him out until he crashed and fell asleep in her arms. Were those days over? Nora was trying hard to not show her distress.

Patch could feel the tension rolling off Nora's small body, the rigidity of her muscles, he didn't understand what was behind her reaction. Men can be so blind and ignorant sometimes. Finally the elevator stopped and he walked over the threshold.

"Welcome to _our _new home, Angel." Nora's head snapped up and she looked wide-eyed in disbelief into his penetrating gaze. He bent and gave her a soft kiss.

"We didn't know if you would need a wheelchair or crutches and the loft wasn't set up for either. If you don't like it we can change it." He added nervously.

Nora's jaw dropped slightly as she looked around as best she could from where she was still cradled in his arms in the entry. Nora was speechless, the place was beyond beautiful. Patch grew restless at her silence with worry he had done the wrong thing.

There hadn't been another person there, no other woman for her to meet! Instead there was a gorgeous new home...for them, together. Nora's heart swelled with new hope, hope for them that things could be starting to change. _Better to not get your hopes up, Nora. You've lived with him before, this is nothing that new, _she admonished herself. Still, grandma had told her that he had changed and that he had a special lady in his life that he was ready to start building a life with so if it wasn't her why would he build this place for them? She was having trouble thinking clearly so she put aside for the time and kissed his cheek and neck and demanded a tour. When she'd seen every room she cried. It was perfect. It had been professionally decorated but she could see the 'them' written all over it. Her sister had framed and matted all of her favorite pictures of them together and with their friends and siblings. Everywhere she looked where wonderful reminders of their times together and smiling faces. Niagara Falls, the Redwood Forest, Rome Italy, Mexico...all of their many family vacations together, the ones that their parents had been to busy for them, spending their time golfing and socializing, but they had had fun together, the five of them; Patch and Nora, Rixon and Vee, and of course grandma.

Her favorite couch and chairs were there along with the biggest plasma TV they made with its built-in surround sound stereo. No expense had been spared. She had no idea how he had managed to do it all, but it even had a perfect replica of the bed she loved, the bed she had so many great memories in with him, not of only sex, but of their quiet times together, the times they held each other and talked in hushed voices into the wee hours of the morning. When he showed her the in-suit bathroom she had thought she'd gone to heaven. Only Patch would know enough about her to design her perfect dream home. The only thing he didn't know about her she thought to herself, is how in love with him she really was.

"I'm going to make something for you to eat. Would you like to rest or sit on the couch?"

Nora chose the couch, she loved to watch him cook and the smells made her feel loved, comforted by the fact she connected them with his presence. She felt at home here, it felt so right.

Nora was a little worried about being able to sleep at night, she had her IV for pain management through the night at the hospital, here at home she wouldn't. She would however, have Patch next to her and he always made everything okay. She would focus on that.

"Would you like to lay down now or do something?" Patch asked her after they finished their meal.

"I'd like to watch a movie and then maybe take a bath before bed." As tired and uncomfortable as she was she was sick of being stuck in bed. Nora wanted to curl up with him, watch a movie and then try out that huge tub she'd been dying to get in since she laid eyes on it, hopefully he would join her. Seeing him naked would be a real treat after all those weeks without.

"What would you like to watch?" They had a virtual library of movies to choose from. Nora really didn't care, it wasn't about the movie it was about time with him.

"You choose." She smiled.

"Are you sure?" The mischievous look in his eyes didn't go unnoticed. She narrowed her eyes at him, what kind of trouble could there be from a movie?

"Alright then." He smirked and put in a movie she couldn't read the title of from where she sat.

When she was settled on the couch against him in the best position for her still sore body he turned on the movie, waiting for her reaction. It was meant to be a joke and he had to keep from chuckling when the title popped up.

50 Shades Of Grey. The brand new release.

Nora didn't know whether to hit him, laugh, or do both. She blushed at the thought of how tortuous that movie could be on them. It wasn't that they were really into the whole BDSM lifestyle, no judgments on those who were, but they had dabbled in handcuffs and blindfolds with a few new positions when they had read the books together.

Nora studied him from the corner of her eye, she knew he was waiting to see what kind of reactions she would have even though his expression gave nothing away, aside from his near constant smirk. She had been shocked, she'd give him that, wait...no she wouldn't, she decided the best reaction would be no reaction at all. See how he liked that.

Patch waited for Nora to get embarrassed, to put up a fight or hit him but she did nothing. In the end he had hurt himself by putting it in as much or more than he had her. He could have taken it back out, watched something more appropriate since it had really just been to tease her after the fun they had had with the book, but he was too proud to have done that so by the end of the movie his zipper had embedded itself in his body thanks to the memories it conjured up and the feel of Nora next to him and after going without for so long without. He _really _hadn't thought that through he wanted to groan.

Patch clicked off the TV and went to run Nora her bath. This was just what he needed after a movie like that...Nora naked. He adjusted the jets on the tub and added vanilla and chamomile bath oils and bubbles to the bath before turning the jets off so they wouldn't beat against her. Would it be too much too soon to just join her in the tub the way he wanted to, he wondered. It was plenty big enough, they wouldn't even have to touch. In the end he decided to leave that up to Nora. Before he wouldn't have given it a thought, he would have just joined her, but he was trying to show that he wanted to do better for her so that meant putting himself aside and letting her lead. When it was all ready he went back to the living room and carefully picked her up, feeling her cuddle close to him made his heart skip a beat. God he had missed that. In the bathroom he sat her on the bench and helped her get undressed. She had looked back and forth from him to the tub. He mistook her nervousness for a safety concern and assured her he would lift her in and out so she wouldn't fall. That wasn't what she was thinking, she was trying to get her courage back, it was hard to feel as desirable and sexy as she had before the accident when she wasn't in the healthy shape she had been in. She would get it back, it was all just going to take some time. Sucking it up she grabbed the bull by the horns and put on her best puppy dog face, the one he could never say no to and batted her long eyelashes at him. He groaned.

"I know you want to ask me something when you get that look on your face, it also tells me that whatever you want you want really bad so just spill it." Patch eyed her. She knew how to work him over, he'd lost the battle as soon as she looked at him like that. The word WHIPPED came to mind, he would never admit that, but that didn't make it untrue.

"I was thinking that the tub might be more comfortable if I had something nice to lean against...something like you." She intensified the longing in her face.

Patch part groaned part growled. That was exactly what he wanted, he wanted that more than anything, but could they be trusted?

"I won't deny you, but are you sure you're up to that? This naked body is a lot to handle." He smirked, better to play off his anxiety with humor.

Nora's eyes lit up at the mention of him being naked and she smiled while nodding her head. Patch chuckled at her enthusiasm and started to get undressed. Nora couldn't take her eyes off him, it was like seeing him for the very first time.

"See something you like?" Patch teased her when he caught her staring, studying him from head to toe before meeting his raised eyebrow and smirk.

"Yeah...everything." She swallowed hard, did somebody turn up the heat in the room? Patch laughed and Nora blushed before he helped her into the tub so that she was leaning back against him.

The temperature of the water was perfect as she leaned her head on Patch's chest. After wetting down Nora's hair, Patch picked up her bottle of shampoo and proceeded to massage it through her hair slowly and methodically until she was sighing. After rinsing it he repeated the process with her conditioner, letting it sit. This was exactly what she had needed. Patch took a fluffy wash cloth and lathered it with her favorite soap and gently washed her from the tip of her toe to the top of her head without hurting her. Nora wanted to wash him too but she didn't think she was up to the bending and twisting yet so she did the other thing she really wanted, she put his hand down on her velvety core, begging him for a release that she had gone so long without. If she was too sore she would take a pill later, it was almost time for bed anyhow.

"I don't want to hurt you, Angel" Patch whispered, his eyes closing at the feel of her under his fingers.

"Please." She whimpered. "If I have to I'll take a pill later. Please."

"God Angel, you're so wet already." His fingers easily playing her body as if it were his own. He didn't even have to think, he knew exactly where and how to touch her to make her body sing for him. Patch quickly lost himself in the feel of her under him, she was his heaven, no one else could do for him what Nora did. He was more gentle than he had ever been besides her first time. He wanted to bring her to that nirvana, to make it earth shattering but he didn't want to hurt her. After more reassurance from Nora and her thrusting into his hand he relaxed. Tenderly he wound her tighter and tighter, playing with her bundle of nerves until it was swollen and engorged, throbbing beneath his ministrations. His fingers were stroking along the valley of her passion slick lips before plunging inside of her to stroke her g-spot as he flicked her clit. Nora began moving her hips in shallow thrusts, setting the rhythm for him her body was aching for. She thrust as his fingers filled her and the fire in the peak of her sex was stoked she moaned. Patch felt her clamp down on his fingers, her walls rippling their pleasure and gratification, he continued to tease her pulsating flesh and with a hard thrust directly into the spongy tissue of her g-spot and his thumb and index finger pinching down and rolling her clit in the same moment she let loose with a cry.

"Patch! Yes, yes, yes. Please don't stop. Oh god that feels good." She groaned.

Patch continued to lathe that area with attention until the last of her bodies orgasmic tremors receded and she lay completely satiated in his arms enjoying her post orgasmic bliss. The water had cooled so he helped her out and wrapped her in one of the new ruby-red towels from the warming rack.

Needing to take care of his own body after her loving hers he decided a shower was in order.

"I need to wash your girlie scent from me so I'm going to take a shower. Are you going to sit on the bench and keep me company or would you like to lie down."

"I want to watch you wash my feminine scent off of your body." She smirked, knowing full well what area he wanted to wash the scent from. Patch smirked at her before adjusting the water temperature and stepping into the hot spray. She had just made this a game and a one woman peep show. At least that hadn't changed he chuckled silently, liking the fact she found him sexy enough to be worthy of watching, not that he'd ever had doubts about his body or his performance.

Nora watched, entranced by the way his muscles moved when he washed his hair, his inky black locks dripping water that filled the air with his Obsession for Men shampoo and body soap. She wanted to trace the water droplets sliding down his body with her tongue as she followed the movement of his hand circling lower and lower as he washed himself until he reached one of her favorite parts. Nora could see he was already hard, probably from the knowledge she was watching him as he took one soapy hand and started to very slowly stroke himself. His eyes closed as he found his familiar rhythm squeezing and stroking from base to head where he would run the pad of his thumb over the weeping slit, collecting the pre-cum to keep him lubricated. She knew that beat from all of their times together, knew how fast and how slow he needed to go, how much pressure and where to squeeze to bring a hard release. They were both picturing her mouth wrapped around his cock, sucking it in, rolling her tongue around his shaft. His free hand slid down to grasp his balls, massaging them in time with his other hand knowing full well on the other side of the glass Nora was watching him and it would drive her as crazy as she had driven him. Touching her had made him painfully hard. Slowly but surely he worked himself up making all the little noises he knew she loved to hear, the growls rumbling free from him when he hit his sweet spot. Soon instinct took over and he thrust into his hand, working his cock harder and faster, chasing his own orgasm. He was so close, so so close, his eyes squeezed tightly shut and then he heard her and that was it, that final piece.

"That's it baby, come for me Patch." He heard her say quietly in a voice thick with seduction and desire.

The pressure build up had been so intense he growled and came with a shout of her name followed by chanting it as he continued to pump himself, spraying cum all over his hand and the walls in thick long rivers, his mind-set on the memory of being in her body as he shook. Nora continued to encourage him, captivated by the sight of him lost in pleasure. God he was beautiful. It was easily the most erotic thing she had ever seen and all she wanted to do was join him and watch him come apart like that inside of her.

"Feel better?" Her voice sounded gravely.

"Much." He smirked in a husky voice as he dried off.

When he was finished he gave her her nighttime medication and situated her in bed before crawling in next to her under the covers, holding her firmly but tenderly against his body, letting the heat from his skin warm her.

"Good night Patch." He kissed her softly on the lips and the top of her head as her butt fit against the front of him.

"Sweet dream under the angels wings." Patch listened to her breathing even out before softly whispering his love to her. He needed to get used to saying it, it still caused his heart to lurch in fear, not from loving her, but from having his heart so thoroughly shattered before. Had he known on that faithful day all those years ago that the girl he had danced with had given him her heart, that it hadn't only been a dream or a school girl crush, that she hadn't friend-zoned him, that she was ready, willing, and able to handle the love he would have given her, had he known what kind of person Dabria was when he met her, that her age alone wasn't enough to choose her over love with Nora he would have chosen differently. He would have followed his own heart. Dabria had tried to use him for money and social power, but deep inside he was now starting to admit he had used her as a substitute for what he felt he didn't, wouldn't or couldn't have with Nora. The strength of his feelings for his younger best friend had confused and scared him, Dabria had been a way out of that fear, but it had cost him dearly. Never again would he allow another soul to come between them. Never, not a single person.

_**~~~~P&N~~~~**_

Two days later Saturday had arrived. Party day. Nora hated parties like this, parties she was the focus of. Vee was the social sister, the one who had the long guest list, to Nora they were pointless, she would have been happy with her sister, Bella and Shadow with the guys hanging out. Instead here she was putting on a smile trying to enjoy a party because it made her friends and sister feel good and she appreciated their efforts and love.

Patch had taken her out for breakfast as the gang decorated the penthouse. Of course Shadow had invited everybody they knew. At one point Nora thought she saw the clerk from the grocery store they shopped at wave at her from across their living room. She shook her head and smiled, it was just like Shadow to go over board with her party planning and enthusiasm and Vee was there to encourage her with her own brand of loving neurotism.

Nora frowned though when she realized her parents were in attendance, they would just try to find a way to blame Patch for something the way they always did, especially after he had limited their access to her and then she had denied their visits at the hospital.

The rest of her memories, minus the accident itself, had come back to her fully in the last days at the hospital and first days at home. Nora could no longer stand to be in the room with them. Things had changed in her too it seemed. She was no longer their hurt little girl who was dying for her parents approval that would never come. She had beaten death and survived her injuries in one piece, she wasn't going to waste one more precious moment of her life on anyone who didn't love and respect her, regardless of her flaws or choices in her love life. Nora had always been a perfect student, she excelled at everything her parents found to enroll her in, they had no right to treat her the way they did or feel the way they did about her. They certainly had no rights to tell her who to marry just so they would benefit. Why should she care how they felt when they never asked or cared how she had felt in all those years. They chose to turn on her, forcing her to choose between them and Patch. When she had made her choice without hesitation and refused to turn away from that decision throughout the years they had begun to act as if they hated her more and more. Frankly, Nora didn't give a damn anymore. Patch took care of her, provided for her emotionally, physically and financially. They hadn't asked anyone once since she was released from the hospital how she was. When that was brought to her attention at the party she had sought privacy in the comfort of her own room to shed the last tears she ever would over parents who from then on would be dead to her. Patch had followed her, he wasn't going to leave her alone anywhere in case her heartless parents struck.

Clista hadn't told anyone that she had invited Tristan, her plan was to catch him when he first arrived and have a heart to heart with him about her granddaughter. If that didn't work she would send him to Patch to get the point across as she was sure Patch would make things more than clear, especially now.

When Tristan arrived it was Clista who had answered the door as she had self-designated herself as door greeter purposely to catch him and hopefully send him on his way before anyone saw him and without having to send him to Patch as her last resort. Clista had asked him to follow her into the privacy of the den to speak with him. The young man in front of her, Tristan Miller, would give her granddaughter everything she wanted in life. She knew it, she could see it in his eyes and it was written all over his face when he had spied Nora's back on her way to her bedroom when she answered the door. Tristan had lost his heart just like her granddaughter had lost hers as a child. The difference was that he didn't love her with a love like Nora loved Patch; he didn't love her like this sixty-nine year old lady had loved her late husband.

"You're wasting your time here, son." Clista met Tristan's eyes. "You're hoping for things that will never be."

"What do you mean, Mrs. Grey?"

"You're after my granddaughter's heart, she gave that away a long long time ago."

"I don't see a ring around her finger, Mrs. Grey." Tristan straightened his back. "As long as there isn't a ring, her heart is for the taking."

"It's not the ring around the finger that counts the most young man, it's the ring around the heart that matters." Clista let her gray eyes bore into his green ones. "And let me tell you, her heart was stronger than the ring around Patch's fiance's finger."

"What happened?"

"Blythe tried to separate them. She talked the Cipriano's into setting up a marriage between Dabria and Patch." Clista's eyes shifted over to where Blythe was standing by the door. "She just didn't count on Nora."

"I think Nora feels a lot more strongly about Patch than Patch does about her." Tristan raised his shoulders, his look filled with sorrow for her grand-baby. "She's pining after a man that she can't have."

"First of all, don't you dare think that you know Patch or that Patch doesn't love her as much as she loves him." Clista pointed her finger in his face. "Second, I'm sick of people saying that she's a pathetic love-sick girl. Nora knows what she wants, and she doesn't settle for any other man because she knows it won't be enough for her, why put yourself or someone else into a marriage your heart isn't into, she'd be robbing both them and herself of the love they deserve. I think that makes her a strong woman, not some weak girl you all take her for. It takes a pillar to stand tall and firm, anyone can bend in the breeze to others whims."

"Why live with a girl, sleep with her and spend all your time with her if you're not going to marry her?" Tristan sighed and shrugged. "He's giving her false hope. Patch is giving her just enough to keep her satisfied, but she deserves more."

"Ever since they were kids, Patch has been whatever Nora has needed him to be. When she needed a friend, he was a friend; when she needed a brother, he was her brother; when she needed a father, he was her father. This is what she needs now and he knows it. Yes, he gives her just enough to keep her with him because he needs her." Clista took a deep breath, placing a hand over her heart. "But for some reason what he gives her makes her happier than what you, I or anyone else for that matter every could give her. So I suggest you get that white picket fence dream of yours out of your head, because those before you that have tried to separate them failed, and you'll fail too. Blythe has tried for the past six years and she almost succeeded. She thought if she gave Nora enough attention for a few months that she'd have her on her side, but when the time came to choose, Nora remembered all the time her mother wasn't there and all the times Patch was. Because let's face it, three months of expensive gifts and a few spa treatments don't outweigh over ten years of absolute loyalty, devotion and friendship."

"I understand, that it must have been hard for Nora to choose between her family and her friend."

"No, it was never a _choice_ for her. She knew where her place was; she's known it all along." Clista cleared her throat, fixing her gaze again with Tristan's. "Nora fell in love with him when she was five years old, and she fought those feelings a very long time. When she almost lost him to someone else, she finally stopped hiding them, and once she started showing how much she loved him, it became clear to everyone that no one else could ever love him more than Nora does."

"She's a good girl. I'm not going to give up on her that easily."

"Okay, let's experiment with this." Clista got a mischievous grin on her wrinkled face. "Go into that bedroom and for ten minutes I will make sure you have Patch alone. You think he doesn't love her the way she loves him, but I'll prove you wrong."

"What do you hope to gain by this?" Tristan frowned. "Throwing me in a cage with Patch?"

"I'll have made my point clear. He'll tell you to stay the hell away from his girl."

Nora and Patch were wrapped around each other, reminiscing about her first time since the accident: That moment still lived vividly in her mind; one of his arms draped tightly over her waist, the other tucked under his head, having functioned as her pillow that night. Her bare breasts pressed into his firm chest, her thigh draped over his hip, his length prodding into her flesh every time she moved; it had been since the moment she'd woken up. Legs entangled, bodies flush against one another, hard abs pressing into soft curves; just like they had been all night. Desperate to touch every pore on each others body, determine to set every nerve on fire, sweat drops mingling between their moving figures, absorbed by the other one's skin, seeping into their flesh; like their hearts had wanted to melt into one another. Fingers curled together, mouths connected, noses rubbing, his hands gripping hers like he'd die if he let her go. There had been no boundaries between them; he was a free man on a mission to give her everything of himself, making her realize how much he'd been holding back, how much he could really give her. She had been eager to receive it. It was as if the green-eyed monster inside of her was set loose that night, wrapping its arms around him, possessing him as he possessed her; she had claimed him, making a silent promise that he'd never be anyone's again but hers.

They hadn't spoken about the accident, they never would specifically, but he did want to talk to her about what had happened.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was."

"Don't you dare think you'll get off that easily." He lifted his head, black eyes shimmering, smirk present. "First, you're going to tell me all about that night. Then, I'm going to spank you, and if you scream loud enough, I might consider forgiving you."

"Can't I just give you a blow job like usual?"

"Sure." He smirked devilishly, holding his hand out for her to take. "After I spank you."

She rolled her eyes and took his hand, letting him pull her between his legs and bury his head against her stomach, his arms wrapping around her waist while her fingers ran through his raven hair, enjoying the thick silky texture. She moved her hands to his shoulders and let them travel over his arms, finding his wrists behind her back to untangle herself. She crawled on top of him, her knees squeezing his waist, guiding his hands to her hips, wrapping her own arms around his neck to pull him tight against her. His body slacked against hers, the weight he'd been carrying falling off his shoulders now that he had her in his arms again. The tension left his body as she gently placed her lips against the crook of his neck, nibbling softly and feeling his head cock to the side to grant her better access. Slowly pecking her way up, she felt his hold on her hips become stronger, his breathing heavier, as she lingered on the spot on his neck that she knew drove him crazy, her tongue making slow sensual circles on his skin. He surrendered with a growl and smashed his lips into hers, pulling her down with him on the bed, her hands landing next to his head against the mattress to hold herself up over his body. His hand clasped around her neck and pulled her deeper into their kiss, feverishly, hungrily, like he'd never have enough. He reclaimed her, making her mouth his own again after it had been kissed by another man, reinstating his ownership over her body after it had been loved by someone else. When she tried to pull away for air, he resisted and held her mouth against his for two seconds longer, as if telling her it was his and that he'd decide when, where and how long it would be kissed.

"How was he?"

"He was okay, I guess." Nora panted against his open mouth. "It wasn't anything like it is with you and me."

"Of course it wasn't." Patch rolled his eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Did you have at least one orgasm?"

"Patch..." Nora blushed ten shades of red from the valley of her breasts to her hairline.

"Did you?"

"No."

"I didn't think you did." He pecked her mouth, softly biting her bottom lip. "He doesn't know your body like I do."

A shiver ran down her spine as his teeth scraped the inside of her lip, knowing the right place to make her moan out loud, just like how he'd found every single spot on her body that made her go crazy, like he'd been made for her pleasure only. It was a thought that scared her; he was perfection for her, setting the standard for other men, making every man who tried to get close to her seem even less than they already were. Until that night he'd been the only man to love her, the only one to bare his body to her, share it with her like it belong as much to her as to him. His body was her heaven, paradise on earth for her; she'd loved it too many times and was loved by it too many time to think that it could have been different; that someone else body could make her skin tingle like his could, Tristan's didn't fit into her curves like his did, it didn't move with hers at the same pace, Tristan's didn't feel like one missed day would lead to spontaneous combustion. But then there was a second man and his body didn't fit hers; it seemed like it had been made on another planet, one where bodies didn't melt into one another, where they didn't make each other scream in pleasure, it had something that in her mind had seemed impossible. Because she had found the other half of her body, she'd touched it, loved it; it had been the only male body she'd ever seen, setting the standard for any other body that followed.

"Can I tell you something?" She pushed herself up and rolled off him, staring at the ceiling. "Just don't tell anyone, okay?"

"This is bound to be interesting knowing you..." He rolled on his side and pushed himself up on his elbow, noticing her glare. "Okay, I won't tell anyone."

"His penis was like..." She pulled her nose up, frowning. "...I didn't like it, it didn't look right, it looked...funny."

"I'm circumcised." Patch fought the smile threatening to show and stared down at her cute little face. This is why he loved her, she was both extremely intelligent and confident when needed, but she was adorably innocent as well. It was with him she let her guard down. "He's probably not and that's why Tristan Jr. looks different."

"Little Tristan." She locked her eyes with his, black on gray. "I slept with Tristan Miller." She looked sick.

"Your mom would be so proud, Nora." He chuckled, running his fingers through her hair. "Isn't he here?"

"Oh god I hope not, I didn't invite him and no one else knows him except grandma so I don't think so."

"I was sure I saw him here, but maybe I was mistaken."

They returned to their previous conversation about their first time:

"You were right." Nora squeezed his fingers with hers. "When Rixon called you he knew it was mainly him hoping you'd save me from Dante, when I called you it was because I wanted you to come back, you were right. I wanted it to be you."

"It's okay, I wanted it to be me too." He whispered against her ear, making shivers race down her spine. "The first time you asked me I said no because I thought it was wrong; but then when it was actually going to happen, I didn't want it to be anyone else."

"Why did you think it was wrong?"

"Because you saw me as your brother and some sort of father-figure at the time."

"If I had seen you as my brother or father, I'd never have asked you." Nora pointed out.

"That's what I figured out later." He stroked a strand of her hair away from her face. "I thought to myself: one day you might not be the only man in her life. Maybe she'll go to someone else for advice, maybe she'll trust someone else; what if she trusts the wrong person?"

"There's never going to be anyone else but you. Dabria was just a bump in the road."

"Yeah, it took me a while to figure out it was a plastic one." His eyebrows knitted together, his lips forming a soft pout. "I'm just saying that I was only a few weeks away from walking down the aisle. I thought maybe one day you'd actually make it to the altar."

"Even if you had made it to the altar, you wouldn't have married her." Nora turned around in his embrace, locking their gazes. "Because I had a damn good speech prepared and you would have never gotten to the vows if I had given it to you."

"What did it say?"

"If that idiotic head of yours ever thinks to fall in love again and puts itself in front of an altar with a person that's not me." She gave him a stern look. "Then I'll give it to you."

Nora leaned over him, finding his eyes boring into hers. With a sigh, she let her lips fall down on his, pushing softly against his mouth, enjoying their satiny touch. A moan escaped her lips right before the bedroom door opened. She snapped her head around as Patch pushed himself up on his elbows and found Tristan looking at them like they had committed a crime. For some reason Nora felt like she had committed a crime, guilt and shame rushed through her veins and she wanted to sink through the floor. Her legs wobbled as she stood up, and Patch draped an arm protectively around her waist as he followed her movements. Tristan approached them, clearing his throat.

"Tristan Miller." He extended his hand in Patch's direction, green meeting onyx. "I don't believe we've ever been formally introduced."

"Yes, of course, the one with the funny looking penis." Patch grabbed his hand, shaking it. "Patch Cipriano, I've heard... things about you."

"Tristan, I'm so..."

"Nora." Clista stood in the door, eyeing them. "People are starting to wonder where you are, dear, I'd rather not explain to them that you're up here having sex with Patch or having a threesome or whatever you kids are doing in here."

"I have to go, I'm sorry." Nora smiled tightly, glancing at Patch. "Are you coming?"

"Clista needs you." He gave her a push, smirking. "Just go."

"Patch..."

"I promise not to kill him." He rolled his eyes, cocking his head towards Tristan. "I'm just going to give him the big brother speech."

"Be nice, Stud." Clista winked at him.

Clista took Nora's arm and helped her out the door, closing it behind them. Patch's eyes roamed over the boy before him, imagining his hands on Nora's skin, her body writhing beneath him, her fingers running through his hair. Tristan stared back at him, no doubt taking the same inventory of him, with the same images in his head, the same thoughts running through his mind.

"Nora's a nice girl so she won't give it to you straight." Patch broke the lingering silence. "She's not interested."

"How would you know?" Tristan narrowed his eyes.

"Because she hasn't been interested in anyone..." He pretended to look for the word, rolling his eyes. "Ever."

"Anyone besides you." Tristan put his hands in his pockets, staring straight into Patch's eyes. "And you're just playing with her feelings."

"The situation between me and Nora has been complicated." He crossed his arms over his chest. "We've lived together, but we dated other people, so don't read something into that night that isn't there. She's not interested in any further encounters with you."

"That's your worst fear, isn't it?" Tristan's eyes narrowed more. "That she might be interested in someone besides you."

"Nora is free to do as she pleases." He lifted his shoulders. "I'm not her boyfriend. I'm just here to keep her safe and satisfied." Not wanting to give anymore of his intentions away before he told Nora himself. He didn't need her hearing his feelings for her from anyone else, especially from Tristan Miller.

"Let me tell you something, Patch." Tristan took a step forward, his face only inches away. "You're not giving me the big brother speech. You're giving me the jealous boyfriend speech because you feel threatened."

"Stay away from _**my girl!**_" Patch's eyes turned dead as night, shooting daggers into the other man. No one and nothing intimidated Patch Cipriano and this was about Nora, he wouldn't think twice about taking care of the 'problem'.

"She deserves a hell of a lot better than you."

"I've told her that every day." He started walking to the door, grabbing the handle. "She refused to listen, what happens between Nora and me is none of your business. Stay away from her."

Tristan's next words died behind the door as Patch slammed it shut.

"Patch? What was that all about, he left in a hurry." Nora wasn't concerned with Tristan, she was worried by the look on Patch's face.

"Nora, we need to talk when the party is over about something very important." Patch sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He wasn't convinced this was a conversation she was ready to have or how she would react. She was still on medication, still healing, just coming to terms with not wanting to have a relationship with her parents anymore, the move...so many changes, but hiding things from her, _this _from her was killing him and he knew she could tell he was holding something back. Tristan challenging him had made it clear that he couldn't and shouldn't wait any longer. It was time to tell Nora how he felt...

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><p><strong>Next up...telling Nora. What did you guys think? Read and review please!<strong>


	25. AUTHORS NOTE

SO I KNOW YOU ARE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THE BIG MOMENT, IT'S COMING, I PROMISE. HOWEVER, MY INTERNET IS DOWN AND I'M WAITING FOR A TECH TO COME AND FIX IT SINCE IT'S BEEN DOWN THREE DAYS NOW, I'M STILL WORKING ON THIS CHAPTER, I WANT TO MAKE IT WORTHY OF THE BIG CONFESSION FOR YOU GUYS SO PLEASE BARE WITH ME AND KNOW IT'S COMING AND IT WILL LIKELY BE LONG AND IT WILL BE WORTH THE WAIT...I'M SO SORRY FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART I FEEL HORRIBLE FOR DOING THIS TO YOU :'( I WON'T WAIT TO LONG THOUGH, I PROMISE. I JUST DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK I BAILED ON THE STORY OR GIVE UP HOPE, THIS IS A HUGE HUGE MOMENT WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR AND I WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO YOU. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE READ, SUPPORTED ME AND REVIEWED. YOU MAKE IT ALL WORTH WHILE AND BRIGHTEN MY DAY, I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU AND I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU :)

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES! :)


	26. Chapter 26- I'M NOT SORRY

_**DISCLAIMER: ALL HUSH HUSH CHARACTERS AND SONG BELONG TO RIGHTFUL OWNERS (NOT ME :( )**_

**I AM SO SO SO SORRY THIS CHAPTER HAS TAKEN THIS LONG, I REALLY STRUGGLED TRYING TO BALANCE IT ALL, TO DO THE SITUATION JUSTICE. I HOPE IT MEETS YOUR APPROVAL, UP UNTIL THIS POINT OTHER THAN PROM NIGHT, THINGS HAVE BEEN MORE HOT AND HEAVY ACTION BETWEEN THEM, THE LEMONS HERE I WANTED TO DIFFERENT FEEL, ATMOSPHERE IS DIFFERENT GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SO I HOPE THAT THE TIME I TOOK IS WORTH IT...READ AND REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW PLZ!**

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><p><em><strong><span>CHAPTER<span>**_

_**I'M NOT SORRY**_

"Patch, where are we going?"

"You'll see, Angel." I wasn't as prepared for this as I had wanted to be, but with Nora's mounting anxiety and my confrontation with Tristan Miller, who I wasn't at all convinced would heed my words, I needed to tell Nora how I felt. To say I was nervous about her reaction would be a gross understatement. I wanted this to be perfect but I hadn't had much time to plan it so I did the best I could and called ahead to the hotel I had taken her to on her prom night and rented the honeymoon suite with specific instructions for the room to be prepared for our arrival.

"Patch? What are we doing here?" Nora's eyes grew wide as her face lit up in recognition. Neither of us had been back to this resort since that night. "You said we needed to talk..." Her voice trailed off.

"Come on." I took her hand, helping her out of the car. "Let me grab our bags so we can check in."

"We're staying here?"

"Unless you would rather spend the night camped out in the parking lot, yes." I smirked.

"Smart-ass." She nudged me with her shoulder as I squeezed her hand.

"Better than being a dumb-ass, right?"

"You're awful." She laughed.

"Awfully sexy, awfully good, awfully..."

"Cocky." She rolled her eyes.

"I have a reason to be." I winked at her as we approached the check-in counter. "We have reservations, Cipriano."

"Oh yes, you called ahead. You're suite is ready for you." I couldn't help but notice how she gave Nora an evil look, or the way her blouse was unbuttoned two more buttons when she came back with my room receipt and leaned towards me low enough to give me a full view of her overly ample bosom. I wanted to ask her if she realized how desperate she looked. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Nora assess her and narrow her eyes at the young brunette.

"Is everything ready as I requested?" I raised a questioning eyebrow at 'Shayna', choosing to ignore her blatant attempts to get my attention. I would have slid her my number two months ago no matter who I was with, not that I'd ever spend an entire night away with any woman besides Nora. Things were different now, I pulled Nora tight to me making it clear that we were together and she should back off.

"Yes sir, the room is ready and waiting as per your instructions. "Shayna's, voice took on an edge as she glanced at my arm wrapped tightly around Nora.

"Thank-you, Shayna."

"If you need anything, _anything_ at all, let me know Mr. Cipriano, just ask for me by name and I will make sure _all_ of your needs are met."

"You have got to be kidding me, I am standing right here." I heard Nora mutter vehemently under her breath and I have to bite back a chuckle.

"If I need anything, Shayna, I will be sure to let the _manager _know. Thank you."

"Is there a reason you booked the honeymoon suite? I mean, aren't those for people on their honeymoons?" Nora raised her eyebrow at me as we waited for the elevator.

"All the other rooms were booked." I lied and avoided her eyes.

"Really. Hmm, I don't believe you, Cipriano. Nice try." She narrowed her eyes at me.

"The accommodations are nicer." I smirk at her.

"So why the sudden nostalgia and trip down memory lane with this little excursion? You said we needed to talk, most talks don't involve the honeymoon suite in the hotel where the guy took your virginity."

"Keep reminding me of taking it and we won't be leaving the elevator." I trapped her between the wall and my body after the door closed behind us. How could this woman take me from a stomach tight with anxiety to a gut burning with lust in under two seconds flat and barely a word? The thought of that night was doing wicked things to me when I needed to focus on what I was going to say. When the elevator dinged I led Nora down the hall to the door of our room, stopping to take a breath, strengthen my resolve and prepare for whatever was to come. I slid the key card in and heard the door lock click praying that things were how I had asked them to be waiting. When the door swung open Nora gasped and her hand started to shake a little as she glanced at me eyes wide before returning to the sight before her. In the honeymoon suite decorated in vibrant red, fresh brilliant white and gold accents danced the flames of more than a hundred candles in her favorite scent, on the plush carpeting was a wide path of red rose petals that led to the giant bed also sprinkled with the same petals in the middle of the room that faced the blazing fireplace. In the center of the bed was a tray containing a bucket of ice, champagne and plates of fresh fruit. There was music filling the silence between us and when Nora closed her eyes to listen I could see tears start to form as she absorbed the lyrics...

_...The day we met,_

_Frozen I held my breath_

_Right from the start_

_I knew that I'd found a home for my heart..._

_... beats fast_

_Colors and promises_

_How to be brave?_

_How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?_

_But watching you stand alone_

_All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow_

_One step closer_

_I have died everyday waiting for you_

_Darling don't be afraid I have loved you_

_For a thousand years_

_I'll love you for a thousand more_

_Time stands still_

_Beauty in all she is_

_I will be brave_

_I will not let anything take away_

_What's standing in front of me_

_Every breath_

_Every hour has come to this_

_One step closer_

_...And all along I believed I would find you_

_Time has brought your heart to me_

_I have loved you for a thousand years_

_I'll love you for a thousand more..._

_I'll love you for a thousand more..._

_One step closer_

I gently tugged her into the room, her legs didn't seem to want to cooperate.

"Patch?" Nora's voice was a soft broken whisper. "What...What's going on?" Her eyes kept darting around the room.

"I have something I need to tell you, something I need to ask you." I swallowed hard, still not sure where or how to begin. "I didn't have anytime to really plan this, I mean I did, but...I don't know if there is such things as the right words, I'm not good at stuff like this and you were just released from the hospital, I wanted more time so I didn't screw this up, but then Tristan showed up again and we had our little talk and that made me realize I'd already waited too long, I couldn't wait anymore, I might have missed my opportunity but if I hadn't I couldn't risk..."

"Patch, what are you trying to say? I don't understand." She looked at me in total loss and confusion.

I let go of her hand and ran my fingers through my hair before walking over to the fireplace.

"I wanted to apologize." I started.

"For what?" Nora asked.

"Let me finish, I said I _wanted _to apologize, but then I realized I'm not sorry. Do you know what I really am? Selfish, because I've made bad choices that hurt you. If I had to do it all over again to get to this point I would, because I would rather put you through all the heartache loving me has cost you than to live the remainder of my years missing out on the possibility of having something deeper with you. I'd rather die right now than miss out on a single moment I've spent with you, but I'd also rather die than live the remainder of my years remembering how happy I was and how good I had it before I lost you to someone else, because that's who I am Nora, and I'm not going to change. There aren't enough apologies in the world to encompass all the pain I've brought you or all the ways I don't deserve you." Nora is standing there staring at me in total disbelief as I glared angrily into the fire.

"Fine, then I'm not sorry either. I'm not sorry that I met you or that I fell in love with you the second I laid eyes on you. I'm not sorry that knowing you has made me question everything I believed in about love, that in the midst of shattering my heart you managed to make me feel the most loved, to give me the most love. It was you in the moments I was fighting death that kept me alive. You've been a terrible person, you made all the wrong hurtful choices, and in all the decisions I've made this may prove to be the worst one, but I'm not sorry that I'm in love with you. I love you Patch...I lov-"

I rushed over to her, claiming her lips as mine before she could finish saying it again.

Nora barely registered that she was being guided backwards toward the bed until Patch pushed her onto her back and covered her with the top half of his body, kissing her so thoroughly that if she'd been standing, she'd have been left dizzy. She loved his mouth, the way he was kissing her with slow, deliberate kisses, as if he had all the time in the world. This wasn't the man he sometimes was who gave brief kisses, then went for the action. No, this was soft, sensual, sweet. He spent his time lingering at her lips, using his tongue to lick over hers, to draw her bottom lip into his mouth, to explore until she could barely breathe. And then he moved his lips over her jaw, down her neck and over her collarbone, eliciting chill bumps over her skin.

He ghosted his fingers down her sides and slid the lightweight material covering her up and off of her body and when he rolled his tongue over the swell of her breasts at the edge of her navy lace demi-bra, she wasn't sure she'd every felt anything so teasingly sensual since their first time, oh and he could be sensual when he wanted she shivered. Nora wanted to rip off her bra so he could ravish her nipples, but again, Patch seemed to be in no hurry. He finally slid his hand down her back to release the clasp on her bra, slowly drawing the straps down her arms.

He stared down at her, using the tip of his finger to draw circles around her nipples, making her body tremble.

"Gorgeous." He said, then bent and took one already erect bud into his mouth.

She gasped in, arching up to give him more. Her fingers threaded into his hair to hold him in place as he licked, nipped and suckled her nipples and drover her crazy with the expertise of his mouth. She shuddered when he moved his tongue down her ribs and over her belly, anticipating his next move.

"Let's get these off." He said, tugging her capris down her legs, leaving her wearing only her panties.

Again he took his time to caress and admire her body.

"You're so beautiful, Angel."

Nora reached for him, running her fingers over his torso. "And you have too many clothes on."

"I can fix that." Patch hopped off the bed, pulling his shirt off before unzipping his jeans and dropping them, revealing his magnificently sculpted body, and very impressive erection.

"Uh, wow." She said, rolling over to her side. In all these years and countless times together she'd never gotten accustom to the splendor of his Adonis body or the beauty of his package.

Patch grinned. "You're good for my ego." He climbed on the bed and rolled her onto her back. "But right now, let's worship your body. I have some orgasms to make up to you."

"I'd like to complain and say we should take care of you, but I'm all for you worshiping my body."

He laughed. "I love a woman who knows what she wants, and there's plenty of time for me later."

She knew she should be taking in what he had said, but how could she think about anything when she could focus on the gorgeous, built god, king of her orgasms who was drawing her panties down her legs, pulling her to the edge of the bed, and putting his mouth-

"Oh gawd yes, right there." Fire coursed through her veins and her words became lost as Patch pleasured her with his expert lips and tongue until she was mindless, until all she could think was climbing that mountain until she reached the peak and dove head first into the awaiting abyss of nirvana.

His tongue was sweet balm to her tortured senses. When she came, he was right there, holding her hands their fingers laced together as he took her over the edge and flying through the heavens like an angel. She arched and cried out, her entire body vibrating as Patch held tight to her hips and claimed her womanhood as his with his mouth again. He greedily drank from her until the last drop of her honey had been careful consumed before placing a tender kiss to the bundle of nerves responsible for that moment.

He kissed his way up her body. Her utterly motionless body. Nora was sure she was done for, but by the time he reached her mouth and planted a kiss on her that scorched her lips, she was convinced more than ever he had magical powers. She twined her legs around his, aware of the ever-constant erection he'd had this whole time.

She reached for him, wrapping her slender fingers around his length and thickness. His body was warm, but there he was hot and pulsing. She stroked him and squeezed, making Patch growl and grasp her wrist.

"We don't want this to be over with before its begun, Angel."

Nora smiled. "I think it's your turn."

"I could be gallant and give you some time to rest, but as I told you already I'm selfish and all I can think about is being inside of you again."

Heat ignited like a gas flame suddenly turned on high in her stomach. "I want that too."

He palmed her stomach. "You have always had an incredible body. A sarcastic attitude hidden in a sweet mouth with lips that curve in the most delicious way when you smile that makes me want to kiss you, and a laugh that makes my groin tight with need. There's never a moment that you're not right there in my mind wreaking havoc with my focus, demanding my attention."

"Tell me what you think about." In the haze of her amazing afterglow, and his mind-blowing confession (that they had still to discuss, she thought before filing that away for a little later), he made her feel brave enough to ask the questions she wanted the answers to, he always did.

"I think about the way you challenge me. You're contradictions, how sweet you are, the compassion and empathy you have towards others that can turn explosive when someone you love is hurt or wronged. I think about the way you walk, with that sassy little swing in your hips, the way you manage to dress so fucking sexy, but look totally classy. And I think about doing things like this all the time." He leaned over her and took the tip of her right nipple between his lips, rolling his tongue over it, then drawing it into his mouth to suckle.

Nora shuddered out a breath at the exquisite sensation, her body tightening in reaction. She raked her fingers through his hair, unable to do anything but watch as he once again mastered her body. Giving up control was something she'd only ever been able to do with Patch, to him she'd gladly hand herself over because he demanded nothing. He only gave to her in a way that no one understood. When they were together he drew his pleasure from giving her pleasure.

He lifted up, his gaze locked with hers. "I wanted to get you naked since we left home, I wanted to touch you, to make your body burn for me." His fingers crept low, covering her sex, taking his time to coax a response from her that only he would ever get, leaving her languid and needy as she arched against him.

Nora lifted her gaze to his, her breath hitching when she saw the hunger consuming his eyes. "I really like your hands on me."

When he finally grabbed a condom, she was more than eager to feel him inside her, to share that intimacy with him again.

He tore the wrapper open and rolled the thin silicone over him, then gently nudged her legs apart before sliding deep within her in one swift and powerful stroke.

A soft moan escaped her lips, and he captured her mouth in a searing kiss that made her quiver, inside and out. When he began to move within her, she clenched tightly around him, the sensations overwhelming. She felt like she was falling, she flailed for something to hold on to. Patch grasped her hands and lace his fingers with hers, centering her.

"Nora." His voice was but a gentle whisper in her ear.

Nora opened her eyes, and there he was, moving above her, his eyes blacker than black filled with the same hungry love and passion that racked her body with a need so intense it couldn't be put in words. She surrendered into that hunger and he fed her, leveling his hips to hit that spot deep within her that only he had ever touched, only he had ever found that wound her tighter and tighter until the coil would snap and her body would yield to her explosive orgasm.

He'd just given her one and yet here she was, poised on the edge again, and as her stomach swirled faster, Patch smirked with pride at the knowledge of what his body could do to hers.

"That's it, Angel." Patch moved his body with perfect unfaltering skill, knowing exactly what she needed from years of experience memorizing every minuscule detail of her bodies responses.

He was exactly what she needed, he always had been, that's what scared the hell out of her. No one could ever live up to Patch, no one.

Nora tensed, and he paused.

"What?" He asked tenderly, holding himself up on his hands. "Is something wrong?" His voice and face etched with concern.

They would have time to talk later, time for both of them to finish laying their cards on the table, for now she wanted to savor the fact that he had acknowledged her love, that he was at least trying to reciprocate, the rest they could work out, for now she wanted to enjoy the moment and the freedom saying those three words out loud at last had given her.

She cupped the back of his neck and pulled him down to her again. "No. Everything's right."

She kissed him, wrapping her arms around him, and he moved against her once more, taking her right back to that spot where she forgot everything except that mindless ecstasy he gave her. He grasped her hips and held her, rubbing his body against hers until it detonated with the force dynamite that left her crying out his name over and over and then louder when she felt the pulsating sensation of Patch's own explosive orgasm as his body shook within her throbbing walls that were clenching down in rhythmic waves that made it almost too tight to move and he chanted her name in a voice so sweet, so reverent she wanted to cry. She clung to him as they shuddered and he slowed his movements, when the last of both of them had ridden out the final of the waves, then they lay still, his breath warm against her neck.

They were both sweating, Patch's heart was pounding against her chest. Or maybe that was her heart, she couldn't tell. She was wrecked, physically and emotionally, tied to Patch's body, wrapped around him, within him, in ways she'd never escape from.

He kissed the side of her neck, nuzzling close to her, he didn't seem to be in any hurry to move, so she stroked his back, playing with the slightly longer curls at the base of his silky hair and just...breathed.

When he finally rolled over, he left the bed for a minute. Nora watch him, enjoying the view of his great ass. He came back a minute later and climbed into bed with her, tucking her against his chest and wrapping his arms protectively around her.

"I have every intention of repeating that between every conversation we have." His eyes twinkled with promise and mischief.

Nora laughed. "You're on." She said before their faces grew serious.

"I realized a lot of things while staying at the hospital with you, about myself, about you and about us. I've kept everyone out of my heart, even you I didn't give my all to, not in the way you deserved. I did a lot of very bad things, as we both know, Angel. I was selfish with you, I had given up all the dreams I had previous to Dabria, and I gave up my ability to make yours come true. I didn't realize or maybe I just didn't want to admit that deep deep down I still wanted those same things I had before she broke my heart. You and I have never had secrets, or so I thought, and here we were with two big one's. I've seen the look in your eyes, the way you knew I was holding something back from you after the accident, and I read you well enough to know that something has been really eating away at you, causing you to pull away from me and avoid eye contact, your body has even been tense. I see the mask you try and wear now, how I missed it before I can only blame myself for, I obviously didn't want to see it or admit it was there. I didn't want to keep the knowledge of my feelings from you, but I've been scared in so many ways Angel, it's so soon, you're still recovering and I didn't want to stress you out, in the end that's exactly what I saw I was doing, scaring you as much as myself because in all honesty, I'm terrified that you're going to think I'm telling you all of this out of fear and pity for what happened, and I'm equally as afraid of rejection or being too late. You've been waiting this whole time without my acknowledgment, keeping this huge secret that had to rip you apart inside in so many ways, and yet never once did you leave my side or stop loving me. You never once let me in on the pain I was putting you through by telling me how you felt, worried about me over yourself, sacrificing yourself for me once again. I understand why you kept it hidden, it had the potential to ruin what we had, neither of us would ever want to lose that and to be honest, I don't know how I would have handled your feelings after Dabria. I built walls so high they blinded me and not even you could penetrate them. The truth is though, Angel, I haven't been able to stay away from you from the moment you first smiled at me. You always came first, even before Dabria when I was still 'happily' engaged. She knew you would always would and you did, hell, I drove over seven hours to make it in time for your prom night so I could be your first. Nothing I have ever experienced physically or emotionally has before or after that night, come close to how it feels to be connected to you. Every time we're together it's like coming home. Even the slightest brush of your hand when we pass sends jolts of electricity ricocheting through my body. From the time you were old enough to date I effectively chased away every interested boy, I told myself it was me being a protective 'big brother' that made me do those things, now I see that's never changed and it wasn't brotherly at all, it was jealousy, pure and simple." Nora's eyes were still penetrating his, a look of disbelief and bewilderment mixed with shock and awe was written all over her face as she listened intently to all he was saying, not sure if she was hearing him correctly. "I always wanted you to have the things you dreamed about, the life you planned and wanted growing up, the house, the car, the loving husband and great kids, even as an adult I've wanted nothing less than that for you. That didn't stop my selfishness, I told you repeatedly not to settle, making myself believe it was with best intentions for you, but now I think what I was really saying is that I couldn't lose you, didn't want to lose you and that you being with anyone but me would be doing just that, settling. It wasn't fair, I practically demanded, forced you into staying with me while denying you everything you wanted and needed because I was terrified of three little words. You've been my best friend my whole life and I couldn't even tell you I loved you. You were the only person I have truly ever loved, but those walls had me saying anything to get that message across except the one's you needed most.

Patch stroked her chin as he continued.

"Then there was Tristan and we fought, it ate me alive. We'd never had a fight quite that bad. I could barely stomach another man dancing with you and here there was another man who had touched you intimately, been places with you that only I had been and it made me physically ill and filled with rage inside, I lashed out at you and I'll never forgive myself for that, you didn't deserve it. You're an adult, you have freedom, we aren't married or exclusive, hell, you watched me over and over again with other women climbing in and out of my bed when the whole time you wanted it to be only me and you forever. There I was throwing a fit like a two-year old whose favorite toy had been taken when Tristan happened, that was so unfair of me, you were kicking women out of my bed that overstayed their welcome and I explode on you for one time when you owed me nothing. There are not enough sorry's in the world, large enough apologies or words in the world to encompass how I feel about all I have done to you, all I have put you through, whether I had any idea of how you really felt in your heart of not. The fact I was so blind to have not seen that in all of this time is a testament to how much I don't deserve you. I couldn't have offered you more at the time though, and you knew that." Patch's eyes hadn't left Nora's, hoping that she would see the sincerity in his words.

"When I heard that you had been in an accident Angel, I didn't know if you were still alive when I arrived at the hospital. God, you flat lined, they had to keep restarting your heart, you were hurt so badly and all I could think was that if your life ended so would mine_" _Patch closed his eyes to try to collect himself, the night still painfully fresh in his mind, but then he felt the searing heat of Nora's lips against his own and when he opened his eyes and met her gaze everything faded away for that moment.

Nora stroked the area teasingly around his groin, never quite touching where she knew he needed her to. He had looked so lost, so hurt she couldn't bare it, she needed to take his mind off of that experience and things had gotten so serious suddenly. She traced the sexy V-line of his hips with her tongue then moved to place repeated nips over his inner thighs before soothing them with her lips and tongue. Each time she moved, she turned her head in such a way that the silken curls in the length of her hair lightly brushed against his groin. His groan was a cross between one of abject pleasure and torturous agony. He gritted his teeth against the intense sensations. All of this earned him a deep chuckle from Nora.

It seemed like an eternity but finally she took him in her hands, alternately stroking and squeezing. He contracted the well-defined muscles of his abdomen in anticipation when he felt her breath fan across him. Again she teased, kissing and then licking from base to tip, lingering there only long enough to flit her tongue several times. She returned to the base, taking her sweet time there for a very long moment.

Moving back up, Nora closed her lips around the tip, drawing ever so slightly in a light suckle. Patch's moans became louder, as she took as much of him in as possible. His hips gently rose and fell in unison with the movements of her head.

When he felt himself approaching the brink, he reached down, fisting his hand in her hair and pulled her away.

Nora softly kissed his neck and chin as she waited for his breathing to calm. When it did she straddled his hips, rubbing her warmth against his now fully engorged body. "I didn't say you could touch." She whispered against his lips teasingly.

"Sue me." Patch nipped her ear lob.

The rubbing of her pelvis against him was driving him insane. Rolling over, he pushed her onto her back. Pinning both of her hands above her head with his left, he used his right to drive her beyond the limits of madness.

Patch kissed her, as his hand kneaded the firmness of first one breast then the other, gently pinching the taut peaks. He stroked and massaged his way across her hips and belly. He squeezed her left thigh as he approached the apex of her body. She grunted half in pleasure, half in protest, as he caressed her. She dug her nails in the back of the hand that held hers. Her own desire already evident, he stroked her everywhere, but that one place that would push her over the edge.

Finally, he drew his finger ever so lightly across that slick nub and her body shivered in response. He returned again and again, to glide over it but never applying any pressure. Still her hips arched upwards and she felt the delicious heaviness spread deep in her belly. He eased one finger inside of her body, using another to stroke in earnest. She knew he wasn't going to stop until he had sent her into the abyss. She tore her mouth away from his. "Not fair...I stopped." Nora groaned breathlessly as she fought the growing wave.

"All's fair, Angel." Patch's voice was equally breathless and hoarse. A triumphant smile played on his lips as he kissed her on the chin. "Besides." He continued. "I want to hear you purr for me."

"I don't purr." Nora denied in a half-hearted protest. Her breaths came faster.

"Yes, you do." He captured her mouth in a deep kiss.

The movements of his hand became more intense. He increased the pressure and speed. A purr-like moan sounded in the back of her throat. He grinned. Nothing turned him on like that sound. Her hips moved to the rhythm set by his hand, until he heard the breath catch in her throat and her body stiffen only to release in a series of jolting convulsions.

Patch continued to kiss her softly until her body had settled. Only then did he release her hands.

Starting with her left knee, he kissed a path down along her inner thigh to the place his hand had been just moments before. With his lips and tongue, he again aroused her to the point of breathlessness. When he heard the purr start in her throat, then and only then did he draw that swollen, hard peak into his mouth and begin to nurse the pleasure out of it. Almost immediately, he felt her body begin to tremble, and the hips that had arched to meet him began to quake. Her nails dug into the back of his hands as he clasped her fingers in between his. He gave one more flick of his tongue and a final long, hard pull with his mouth letting his teeth glaze the over-sensitive flesh as he pulled it in. With a cry between gasp and a scream, she exploded into thousands of tiny pieces. This was all about her, not him, not this time not anymore.

Patch kissed his way up her body, stopping to gently suckle on each breast. Reaching her mouth, he joined his body to hers, very slowly, agonizingly slowly. His own body trembled with the restraining effort. Pulling her thighs high up around his waist, he began to move.

He started slowly, but when Nora locked her ankles around him and dug her nails into his sweat slicked shoulders, what little control Patch still possessed snapped. He pressed his body in and out of hers with fast, deep but rhythmic strokes. He swallowed her moans of ecstasy when he lowered his mouth to hers, his tongue duplicated the movements of his lower body.

Nora frantically clung to him as she felt the heat build once again deep in her loins. Piece by tiny piece she broke apart, her body repeatedly tightening around him, pulling him, caressing him, coaxing him. With one final long, deep and powerful thrust, he froze his body tight, his eyes squeezed shut for a second before he looked at her and both their worlds collided, a deep rumbling growl low in his chest broke free as his release tore from him. Nora screamed his name as his spasms triggered her own, his warm, life giving fluid flowed in stead jets into hers like a gun firing rapid shots continuously. That was five orgasms for her already.

The feel of that liquid warmth was almost too much, pushed her beyond the brink. Her entire being was wracked with the force of her climax and her nails had laid a path starting at his shoulders down his back and his left shoulder bore her bite mark making him hers as blood seeped from both wounds.

Patch collapsed on top of her. He was heavy, but it wasn't a weight she was ready to be free of. When he could breathe again, he raised up on his elbows and kissed her slowly, deeply on her mouth. Pulling his body from hers with a groan that elicited an answering whimper from Nora, he lifted his weight off to move to her side, drawing her into the cradle of his body.

Nuzzling her damp auburn tendrils, he asked. "Do you still think you don't purr?"

"No." She grinned mischievously. "I know I don't."

"Do I have to prove it to you?" He drew her earlobe between his lips and gave it a gentle suck then nip.

Nora reached back, taking him in her hand. "Only if you can." she smirked.

"Oh I'm sure I can." His right hand drifted down lower across her belly.

Nora woke a few hours later to the feeling of being watched, it was something she had grown accustomed to since waking in the hospital and a soft smile crossed her lips.

"I know you're awake Angel, you might as well open those pretty eyes." Patch chuckled. "Or are you still to worn out."

"Never." Nora giggled and opened her eyes to gaze up at him. God he was the most gorgeous man she had ever met and her heart skipped a beat. It was a little after midnight and he had ravished her body to the point of numbness, she doubted he was done with her and the thought had her smiling again.

"You're smiling again. Care to share what about?" Patch arched a curious eyebrow at her.

"I was just thinking about how you take care of me." She ran a finger along the line of his masculine jaw line, making him briefly close his eyes at the tingling the lightest touch from her sparked in his body.

"I haven't always, I could have done better. I hurt you and for that I am deeply sorry, not that that will ever be enough. I'd met your basic needs and when you were still under sedation I learned how to care for all of your physical needs in every way I could. It started changing me, I realized that when I cared for you it gave me a sense of purpose, of being somehow important to someone. I mean, I knew I was important to you before, but I didn't really do anything for you you couldn't do for yourself. This was different, you needed me and the thought of being needed by someone before had always scared the living shit out of me as much as it was what I needed. I wasn't ready or wanting commitment ever and yet there I was, completely committed to you. It was a battle inside me to leave you long enough to clean up each day when all I wanted to do was talk to you and hold your hand. Slowly I think my carefully built walls were crumbling without me noticing at first."

"How could you stand to be in that room all the time without going crazy? It wasn't like I was the greatest conversationalist." Nora asked. It would have drove her mad, it did the short time she stayed after they lowered her meds enough for her to wake up.

"To begin with it was just day to day mundane things like reading our favorite books or news and events that were happening, but over the days without thinking about it I started talking about those shattered dreams I had and that led to talks about what I wanted in the future and that future included you, it always has. I hadn't fully faced my fears of love and marriage or having a family, but I was getting there. Then grandma started spending more time with me asking little questions only she would know to ask to make me question the kind of love I had for you, she's known all along there was something deeper than friendship going on. She shared some of her wise words, and of course there was her famous, "follow your heart" speech. The thing is that it wasn't long after that that I knew I wanted you for myself, I wanted you and no one else. I wanted to be the one to make all of those dreams of yours a reality, I wanted to recover what I had lost, the dreams stolen from me courtesy of Dabria, and I wanted to do that with you. I also know that I can't stand to ever be without you Angel, I knew that there was a distinct possibility I was already too late and I decided then and there that if all you ever wanted from me in the future was friendship then that's what I would do, but I was never going to give up trying to prove to you that I was a changed man, that I wanted more. I want all of those things with you and I'm ready and I will fight to prove it in every way possible each and every day, even if it takes years I won't give up unless you tell me and there isn't a shadow of doubt that you mean it. I wanted to wait to tell you, I don't want you thinking that I'm saying this because I feel bad for what happened, for the accident. I do of course feel horrible you were hurt, but it opened my heart and mind by forcing me to confront things I probably never would have. That's far from pity. Looking back Angel, it has always been you, it will always be you. Can you forgive me? Can you accept my feelings, my love? Are you willing to give me a chance, us a chance, or am I too late? No matter what your answer is, or how much it hurts, I need you to be completely honest with me, don't spare my feelings or lie to me. I need and want the honest truth." His dark eyes implored her with anxiety and insecurity that never showed. Patch was the portrait of confidence and ease...on the outside.

Looking into his deep eyes Nora was stunned speechless as she studied him. That was the longest speech he had ever made, heartfelt and open and totally honest. He hadn't ever shown this level of vulnerability, it even surpassed the time he cried in front of her over Dabria. This was what she saw when he was asleep, the face of the vulnerable little boy who didn't get the love he deserved but somehow managed to give her all those things they both were missing in their home while they were growing up. His voice sounded so sincere, so scared. This is what he had been keeping from her while she believed that he had found someone else, someone he had given his all to? Nora cringed at the thought that all that worry and doubt had been for nothing. Now her grandma's cryptic remarks made sense and everything clicked into place. She thought she had seen every side there was of Patch, but not this. Now that look she hadn't been able to place, that unknown emotion in his eyes when he looked at her made sense as well. She remembered seeing it in his eyes when she first opened hers after all those weeks. He was the one she knew, the one she remembered everything with. Nora shook her head for a minute when she had a weird flash of talking to her grandpa Nick, hearing him tell her it wasn't her time, that Patch needed her. That couldn't be, he had died a long time ago. Thoughts and feelings were racing through her so fast she was barely keeping up and Patch was growing more and more nervous watching them flit across her face and in her eyes as he waited for her response. Patience had never been one of his virtues, but he was trying his hardest knowing she would need to time to take all of this in, it had taken him weeks. Well, years actually.

To begin with Nora was elated to finally hear what she had been waiting her whole life to hear, then there was doubt about how real it all was when she knew he felt responsible and guilty over her accident. There was fear of what it would do to her and to their friendship if things didn't work out, if he confessed a love more than friendship as a reflex response or a sense of duty following her accident things would never stand a chance, they could lose it all. Anger, anger that it had taken him so long to figure this all out, that it had taken her being hurt to open his eyes. Hurt, hurt over all the women she had shared him with to have the tiny bit of him he had allowed her. The emotions went on and on. Finally she broke the silence, leveling her eyes on him with a serious look that said she meant business.

"I can tell that it isn't pity, it hurts that it took this to get us here though. I can see and hear the fear you have and after the past you have I know you're afraid of rejection, especially now that you know what I went through just to be here. I'm not rejecting you, but after all that you've done and we have been through, listening to what you had to say and considering it all I think what I need most, what would be best is time. Time for both of us to adjust to this change in you and in our relationship, and most of all time for us to see that you really mean it, for you to prove to me that your words are more than just words and a knee jerk response to almost losing me. So, with that in mind I'm going to give you another year of my life, I've waited this long I can hold out one more year, but this time you have to prove you're serious about this, that you really have changed. You have to give up any and all women, no more sleeping around, no more dates, and given your history that might be harder than you think, but if you really want this, and it seems like you do, then you will do that for me, for us. I want you to take me on real dates, I haven't been courted or wined and dined, and I don't mean 'dates' like we've had in the past, I want the hearts and flowers bullshit you men hate so much, the kind of dates that say 'I want to spend my whole life loving you', not the kind that say 'I can't wait to get you home and fuck you senseless', which I'm not opposed to following a proper date if you earn it." She winked at him with a naughty look that shot through his nervous system and down to his groin before she turned serious again. "If at the end of the year you have shown that you can do that and followed my conditions then we can move forward as a couple from there however we decide to. That's the best I have to offer right now. Do you accept my terms, can you follow through under those conditions? Oh, and one other thing Patch, you better continue to prove yourself in the bedroom too." Her eyes danced at the last part to match her smirk and the eyebrow raised in challenge.

Patch hadn't actually thought she would him give a chance, he had been prepared for rejection and to fight tooth and nail for her. He knew he still had to prove himself and his intentions by following her conditions, but with the way his eyes had been opened and the love he felt he knew it wouldn't be as difficult as everyone seemed to believe it would be for him. Hell, he hadn't been with any other women since before her accident months ago. There was nothing more that he wanted more than to make this angel his own, to own her and possess her in a way only a husband could. He didn't want ownership of her life, he loved her independence, her stubbornness and her fire drove him wild, he just wanted her to still want him and only him. He wanted her to want to belong to him. His heart raced with her words and the 'challenge' of the next year.

"Deal, I accept your terms and I will meet them, I'll prove myself." He stroked her face tenderly as his words came out in a hushed promise. "I think I should start right now in fact, I believe you said I needed to prove myself in the bedroom?" He gave her the kind of smirk that made her toes curl and wetness pool, the kind that melted your clothes and set fire to your skin before he laid assault on her body once again.

When both were too spent to move they laid cuddled together. Nora fell asleep with the words of that song, the words he had spoken and the delicious memories of him worshiping her body in her mind. She fell into the kind of slumber you hoped for with a feeling of safety, not only physically, but emotionally for the first time.

Patch's mind was filled with excitement knowing that the woman curled tightly in his arms sound asleep was his, truly his in a way that no one else had ever been before. He was realistic though, there would be obstacles, they were both stubborn and there was no doubt they would have disagreements, they always had, but they had also always made up quickly, minus that last fight. He knew that his brother and her friends weren't going to be so quick to believe he was serious or could do it, they might even be mad at her for even giving him a chance after all he had put her through. But he knew that Nora was his heart and soul, the missing piece to his puzzle that he hadn't known was missing after Dabria had crushed him. He had a lot of planning to do to prove himself over the year, his goal was marriage but he wasn't going to jump to far ahead or let her know that. He needed to get through this next twelve months first. After giving her his ritual pattern of kisses and whispering his love to her he drifted off into his own peaceful slumber, for once he was truly and completely relaxed with Nora tucked as tight as possible in the safety of his protective arms.

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><p><strong>So there she is, he came clean. What do you guys think of what Patch had to say? What about Nora's response? Any ideas for the coming year? please review review review! I had a hard time getting this chapter done after my internet was fixed so any input would be great :)<strong>


	27. Chapter 27- WAKING UP IN A DREAM

_**DISCLAIMER:**__** ALL HUSH HUSH CHARACTERS BELONG TO BECCA FITZPATRICK**_

_**THIS**__** CHAPTER: ALRIGHT, THERE HAS BEEN SOME QUESTION ABOUT WHY PATCH DIDN'T SAY THOSE MAGICAL THREE WORDS...THERE WAS A REASON AND I HOPE THIS CHAPTER CLEARS IT UP WHEN HE TELLS NORA ABOUT THAT. THERE WERE THINGS THAT I KNEW ABOUT PATCH THAT YOU, THE READERS, MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN OR CAUGHT ON TO SO I HOPE HOPE HOPE THIS CLEARS SOME OF WHY HE DIDN'T UP FOR YOU, AND YES...HE'S GOING TO TELL HER.**_

_**READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAVE AND THOSE WHO DO, THIS STORY BELONGS TO YOU.**_

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><p><em>THIS CHAPTER WAS WRITTEN AS A BIRTHDAY GIFT TO MY FRIEND AND FELLOW AUTHOR<em>

**~~~~~~~~BOOKZRMYLIFE~~~~~~~**

**THIS ONE IS FOR YOU GIRL :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!**

MY LIFE HAS BEEN BLESSED BY YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND MY WRITING CONTINUES WITH THIS STORY AS YOUR LOVE AND ENTHUSIASM FOR IT INSPIRE ME AND KEEP ME MOTIVATED TO WORK ON IT. THE FACT THAT SOMETHING THAT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME MEANS SOMETHING TO SOMEONE ELSE IS A POTENT FEELING. I NEVER INTENDED TO SHARE THIS STORY AND NOW IT HAS BLESSED ME WITH FAITHFUL READERS I ADORE AND NEW FRIENDS LIKE YOU THAT ARE PRICELESS. WITHOUT YOUR PASSION FOR FOLLOW YOUR HEART I MIGHT HAVE ENDED THE STORY ALREADY OR QUIT LONG AGO. THE GREAT THING ABOUT THIS WEBSITE IS PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHOM I GET TO MEET AND SHARE WITH, WHITHER AS A READER OF MY STORIES OR A FELLOW AUTHOR. YOUR REVIEWS AND MESSAGES ARE THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY DAYS AND KEEP A SMILE ON MY FACE AND IN MY HEART. MY BIRTHDAY WISH FOR YOU IS THAT MY STORY AND MY FRIENDSHIP ARE AS MUCH A BLESSING TO YOU AS YOURS ARE TO ME. YOU ARE BOTH ONE OF A KIND AND A PRICELESS TREASURE AND YOUR LIFE IS A GIFT TO ALL WHO MEET YOU, EVEN IF THEY DON'T SEE IT OR ACKNOWLEDGE IT.

**3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUN AND I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE IT WAS ALL FOR YOU 3**

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><p><span><em><strong>CHAPTER 27<strong>_

_**WAKING UP IN A DREAM**_

Sunshine poured in through the white gauzy drapes where the gap laid open between the large heavy ruby-red velvet curtain panels. The rays shone directly in Nora's sleepy eyes and she groaned, covering her face with a pillow while grumbling to Patch and reaching for him, only the sheets were cold where his warm body should have been. Just when she started to panic thinking this had all been an awful dream, awful because it is a dream, she heard that oh so familiar sounding velvety voice.

"Good morning, beautiful." I see Patch bringing me a tray of breakfast that, after a night of passionate lovemaking, smells divine, but I'm torn between devouring the food and devouring him. I watch as he sets down the tray of food before leaning over to kiss me on the top of the head, I don't want kissed on my head though, I want to feel his lips against mine, the lips that spoke the words that were rapidly mending the cracks in my heart loving him had caused. I reached up and cupped my hands around the back of his neck and pulled him into a deeper kiss.

When Patch pulled back Nora raised her arms to stretch, she smiled at the familiar soreness, remembering the night before. Patch had been such a giving lover, he made more than sure she was beyond satisfied.

Patch handed Nora a cup of coffee made just the way she liked it, it smelled delicious.

"You're my hero." She said as she took a sip of the dark brew.

"I'll bet you say that to all the guys who make you coffee in the morning." Patch smirked.

"Yes, it's a regular revolving door of hot men brewing me coffee." She retorted dryly, but her eyes danced with amusement.

Patch stretched back against the headboard on the over-sized king bed, and Nora drank her fill of him along with her coffee. He was wearing a pair of blue-and-white board shorts and no shirt, and the delicious thought continued. He looked hot and tan, his abs washboard tight and sexy, his raven black hair shiny and still sleep-tousled. The last thing on her mind this morning was leaving that hotel room. She wanted to drag him back down in the bed and have her way with him at least five or six more times, or until she passed out.

"If you keep looking at me like that, two things are gonna happen." Patch said, giving her a very hot look over the rim of his coffee cup.

"Yeah? What two things?"

"One, I'm going to get very very hard, and two, we're aren't going to be leaving this room today."

Her lips curved. "And those are bad things?"

"Not necessarily, but there's plenty of time for those things later. Today I promised we'd finish talking, and I'd take you out."

"I guess you're right."

Nora registered the smell of breakfast again and took a peak at the food on the tray.

"Didn't you sleep?"

"I got plenty of sleep." Patch answered.

"As I recall, we didn't sleep much last night." She'd drifted off, but he'd awakened her in the wee hours, hard, and stroking her breasts. She'd gone willingly into his arms and under his body. Just the memory of the two of them making love in the dark had her body quickening, wanting more. They'd had sex before, passion filled sex, but with feelings out in the open, this was making love.

"You're giving me that look again." He arched a brow.

"Am I? You know, we could put off the whole going out thing."

"Temptress. I'm going to get ready while you eat. You're dangerous to be around when you're sleepy and all sexy like that."

Nora grinned and after watching him gather his stuff she realized how hungry she was and went about sampling a little of everything he had ordered for her. By the time that he exited the bathroom, Nora was done eating and almost too full to move.

Patch kept smiling at her, and staring at her, giving her looks that distinctly reminded her of how he'd gazed at her when he was inside her last night. Very direct, with not-so-subtle meaning. Which meant she'd get hot and flustered, and she had no idea why they were going out when right now they could be rolling around in bed together.

It wasn't that long of a weekend, after all. She didn't know what he had planned but she could tell he was up to something.

"Before I let you know what my plan is today, and I let you get ready, I wanted to talk to you about something." Patch's demeanor turned serious.

Talk? Hadn't they talked enough? What more could there be to say? Nora didn't know but now she was curious to find out.

"Okay, what do you want to talk about." She asked as Patch pulled her into his lap.

"Last night, when I said I wanted to say I was sorry but I wasn't, you told me you loved me, I never said it back to you and I want to tell you why."

Nora hadn't said it expecting him to say it back. To be honest, she was surprised he'd been able to move or speak at all instead of being frozen when she said it. Best friends often tell each other they loved each other, Patch and Nora never had. Nora's parents didn't fight or have marital problems, but it wasn't a relationship built on love either. The only love she knew was Clista and her love for her sister. Between Clista and Vee, plus Patch, Nora knew she was loved, but she wasn't accustomed to hearing it from anyone aside from grandma. Sisters didn't really go around saying I love you all the time and neither of them grew up hearing it from their parents so it wasn't a habit they got into. Nora also refrained from saying it to Patch because she knew if she did, eventually her tone and expression would give away the feelings she had to keep so closely guarded, and after Dabria, he would have bolted in fear of what that meant.

"I wanted to say it to you then, when you said it, but I had to kiss you. God, do you realize that that was the first time EVER in my life that anyone has said that to me? My mom didn't even tell me that as a toddler or a young child, and you know my dad was inclined to beat me, not tell me his unconditional love. Rixon and I don't have that kind of relationship even now, and I don't have extended family here that could say that. I trusted you had love for me and Clista did, but we didn't say those words. Dabria never even told me she loved me, even after I told her. I've never heard the words, never really understood what they meant. I thought I was in love with Dabria, I thought I loved you as a big brother, I was wrong on both accounts. The only thing my dad loved about me was using me as his punching bag, the only thing my mom loved was how good she looked on the front of a Christmas card with two smiling kids. When I got older the girls loved me, or at least they loved my body and what I could do to them with it. That was the closest I got to love and affection outside of you and I. I didn't know how to tell you I loved you, hell, I struggled knowing how to care for you when I'd never been cared for. The closest thing I had was Clista, thank God for her or I wouldn't have been able to do the little bit I did manage to do right for you when we were growing up, or even now."

It broke Nora's heart thinking about that part of their lives again. She knew things were bad for Patch at home. He wasn't wanted, he was the black sheep of the family, the rebel son, the problem child, an embarrassment. He hadn't even been good enough when he was trying. He worked hard in school and won the competitions his parents had put him in and not once could Nora remember a time she'd heard them give him a compliment, or even say they were proud of him. Telling him they loved him was simply out of the question. He had even finished his degree while engaged to Dabria, he graduated from a major University class Valedictorian and that hadn't made a difference to them. The thought of how young he was when girls/women started using him for sex was appalling. Patch was thirteen his first time and the girl was three days shy of her eighteenth birthday. From that point on though, he'd sought 'love' in the form of bed partners, he really believed that was all he was good for. Patch's voice snapped Nora out of her thoughts.

"I was like a big brother to you, I wanted you protected, I knew from being around my dad the potential men had for physical violence, I never wanted you to experience that. I knew what it was like to be used for sex, I didn't want that for you either, so it was easy as you got older to tell myself that what I was feeling was brotherly protection, not jealousy or insecurity, let alone love. I couldn't help but notice how you grew from a pretty little girl into a beautiful teenager and now a full-grown stunning young woman." That made Nora blush. "You know the story of your prom night and Dabria with aftermath included. That brings me to last night. I wanted to tell you I loved you without it being in the heat of a moment, I know that may sound odd, different from how other people do it, but I didn't want you to think it was a sexual thing, or an automatic response because you said it. I didn't want there to be any distractions that were running rampant last night. I know it made sense to tell you then, I confessed it why not say it, but I wanted this, this right here. No big confession of all my wrongs, all my tormented thoughts while you were unconscious, no heights of sexual tension going on. Now it's just you me and this...Nora Grey, I love you." He locked his eyes on hers, eyes burning with intensity and emotion, pooling with sincerity that cut straight into her heart and soul as she heard the words for the first time, the words she'd nearly died to hear. "I love you. I love the way you smile, that sassy, sarcastic little attitude you have, I love the way you love, the way you get all fired up and feisty. I love your creativity, your innocence, your way of seeing life as something to be achieved and conquered. You make the right choices, you do the right things, you care for and nurture those around you. You can be a martyr. I love how intelligent you are, I love how you're both sexy and alluring while maintaining a timeless beauty. I love your laugh, the way you light up when I walk in a room, the way I can hear you smile when I call you and you pick up. I love the excitement you have for me, for life. I love your passion, your romantic side, your silly side. I love you Nora Grey, all of you, every perfection, every imperfection, it's all perfect to me. You may not be perfect, I'm not perfect, but I think we're pretty perfect together. I hope I didn't disappoint you last night again, that I didn't blow things again too much by waiting until now to say that. I just needed it to be this way. I-" Nora cut him off with a kiss.

"I love you too, Patch Cipriano." She whispered when she pulled away to catch her breath. "I always have, I always will." She nipped his bottom lip, making him growl and tickle her sides lightly on the ribs.

"If you keep wiggling around on my lap like that I'm going to throw you down and show you exactly what that sweet ass does when it grinds against me like that." He threatened with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"You're the one making me squirm and you lost your chance." Nora jumped up giggling and dashed for the bathroom. "I'm showering and your taking me to do whatever it is you had planned for us." She stuck out her tongue with a giggle, making Patch chuckle before disappearing into the bathroom.

Patch opened Nora's suitcase and took out her bathing suit, a pair of shorts and a tank top with her sandals and set them in the bathroom, telling her that what she needed for the day was on the vanity bench waiting for her when she was finished showering. It had felt good to tell her he loved her, he figured it would have the night before too, but he knew that Nora would understand, she did understand why he had waited. She had even managed to take the seriousness of it seriously, but turn it around into something lighthearted and fun. That was Nora, she knew what he needed better than he did. If he had needed that serious moment/mood to last she would have been right there with him, she sensed that he needed to get it off his chest and move on, that's what she helped him do. How had he not realized how much he loved the girl a long, long time ago?

He finished getting things ready for their day. He ordered up a basket of food to take with them. He was taking her water-skiing. Patch used to go all the time with Angelo and Gianni, he didn't think Nora had ever been so he rented a boat and planned on spending the day alone with her on the lake nearby teaching her to ski.

When they walked out into the parking lot and Nora spotted the shiny red and white speed boat behind the jeep she gasped.

"Patch, what is that?"

"Gee Nora, that is what we humans like to call a boat." Came his sarcastic response. Nora glared at him.

"No shit Sherlock, I know what a boat is. What's it doing behind the jeep?"

"We're going to the lake, I'm going to teach you how to water-ski." He smirked at the apprehensive look on her face. "Unless you're scared." The fastest way to get Nora to agree to something was to dare her, challenge her. Nora didn't know how to back down from a challenge, obviously, she'd never backed down from the challenge of winning his heart.

"Lead the way, Cipriano. You don't scare me." She narrowed her eyes at him before glancing nervously at the boat. He didn't, water-skiing did. She trusted Patch though, he'd never let her down, especially when her safety was involved. If anything, he was way too overprotective.

Patch and her climbed in the jeep and took off. It wasn't far to the lake, so Patch gave her instructions on backing down the ramp so he could get the boat in the water. They worked as a team, and before long he had the boat off the trailer. She pulled the jeep and trailer forward, parked, then climbed in the boat.

"Nice job. You didn't even sink the jeep." Patch winked at her.

"Gee, thanks."

He backed the boat out and took it slow out of the shallows, then pushed the throttle. Nora held on as he sped past the lines of trees along the bank, wind slapping her ponytail across her back.

The breeze was wonderful, the sun already promising a very hot day as they cruised along the tops of the waves. She settled in and enjoyed the view of the lake as Patch throttled down and they moved along at an easy pace. Nora finally took a seat and looked out the side as other boaters breezed by, some of them waving as they passed.

Before her accident they'd both been working at a grueling pace for a long time, she was attending school and working full-time. Patch was working more than full-time and though she didn't know the details, it sounded like he was working more than one job, she'd find out more about that later. Needless to say, between work, sleep, Patch's bed hopping, school and homework, they didn't get a lot for real fun times together, she couldn't count the events they had to attend like the auction as fun. To be able to relax like this with Patch was a slice of nirvana.

Patch finally pulled the boat to a stop in the middle of the lake.

"Ready to ski?"

She inched out of her seat. "I...guess so."

He smiled at her. "It's not that hard. I'll give you some instructions, and we'll have you up in no time."

He took her to the back of the boat and got out a life jacket and the skis.

"What about you? Won't you get to ski?" Nora asked.

"I'm fine. I've done it a thousand times with Angelo and Gianni. I really want you to do it today."

"I could drive the boat, and you can ski."

Patch cocked a brow. "Ever driven a boat?"

"No."

"Then get your skis on and get out in the water. I'm driving, you're skiing."

"Shouldn't there be three people on the boat?"

"What for?"

"One to drive, one to ski, and the other to watch the skier."

He gave her a look. "Nora. I'll have my eye on you the whole time."

"Then how will you be able to see where you're going?"

He laughed. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing here. Eyes in the back of my head, Angel."

Dammit. She supposed she was out of excuses. Patch gave her a litany of instructions, told her how to squat down when he first got going until she felt herself balanced, to remember to hold on to the line, and to let go if she fell.

"I have all that."

"Then get in and have some fun."

Nora was dubious about the fun part, but she slid into the water and swam over to the skis, put them on, and grabbed the rope handle when Patch tossed it to her.

"Point the tips of your skis toward the back of the boat." He said. "And when you fall, raise your hand up so other boaters can see you. I'll keep an eye out for you and come around."

"Sure."

"Have fun." He grinned.

"Yeah. If I even get up."

"You're strong, Nora. And you're coördinated. You'll get up. Just remember what I told you."

"Okay." She was utterly terrified, and hoped she wouldn't embarrass him.

He started up the engine and went slow. The rope had slack, so she sat there for a few seconds, her heart pounding the entire time as she tried to remember everything Patch had told her. As soon as the rope started to pull, she tensed, ready to get up.

This was much faster than she had anticipated. The rope pulled taut, and she promptly face-planted in the water.

That went well.

Patch came around right away, putting the boat back into position again.

"I didn't get up." She said as he threw the rope to her.

"You tilted forward, toward the rope. Don't worry about it. It's a natural instinct to do that. Just remember, lean back, away from the rope. And squat down a bit."

"I'll try to remember that next time."

Except she did the same thing the next time, smacking the water with her face and body.

"This is starting to hurt." She told Patch, who grinned at her as he tossed her the rope again.

"Your body or your ego?" He smirked.

"Uh, both."

"Don't give up. Not everyone gets up on their first try."

"I suppose you did."

He didn't say anything to that, which obviously meant he had. And if he could get up, so could she. Nora was coordinated. She'd taken dance and gymnastics as a kid. She could do this.

With renewed determination, she pointed her skis, grabbed the rope handle, and when it started to pull, she leaned way back and made sure to keep her knees bent.

She didn't face-plant that time, and she actually got up to a squatting position as Patch propelled the boat forward.

She was up! Exhilarated, she let out a squeal of joy, though it was short-lived because this skiing thing took a lot of concentration and a lot of muscle as the line tugged her forward. She was glad for all the Pilates and yoga classes Bella and Shadow had forced her into taking over the past few months before her accident, because her core muscles were definitely getting a workout as she rode along the waves.

She made it about five minutes before losing it on a high wave. Patch came around.

"You did it."

"I did. Can I go again?"

"Of course."

Determined to stay up longer this time, she got up easier than the last time and stayed up. She spent about an hour skiing, though she'd fall and then have to restart. But each time, she learned something new about how to ride through a wake or adjust her body.

When Nora climbed back into the boat, her limbs felt like spaghetti, her arms and legs shaking from the effort.

Patch handed her a towel. "You did really good."

"Thanks. It was so much fun, but oh my God, what an effort. Definitely not as easy as it looks."

"Yeah, it takes some practice, but you handled it great."

"Now why don't you show me how to drive the boat so you can ski for a bit? Surely it's not rocket science."

Patch waffled a little, and she kept arguing because she knew he really wanted to get out there in the water. He finally caved.

"Okay. We're in the deep part of the lake, so if you head along the straights." He said pointing the way. "You shouldn't hit anything."

"You have such confidence in me. Just tell me where not to go, and I'll make sure to stay away from those places."

He dug out the lake map and showed her the shallows. She nodded and told him to get his life jacket on.

"I can ski for a long time. I'll just wave my hand when I'm done. If you feel like you don't want to drive the boat anymore, just slow it down and I'll drop. Then you can come alongside and pick me up."

She nodded, and he went in the water and got his ski on. Obviously he was an expert at this thing since he was going to do slalom, using only one ski for both feet.

When Patch gave her the signal, she pushed the throttle and slowly got up to speed, keeping her eye on him. When he was up, she kept her focus mainly on the water and the other boaters, occasionally looking back to be sure Patch was still up and behind.

He was right about staying up for a long time. He was a natural at water-skiing, and she enjoyed taking the occasional peek at him flying through the water, one hand on the rope, the other waving at her or other boaters as they rode past. When he finally let go of the rope and dropped ever so expertly into the water, she turned the boat around and came alongside him. He tossed his ski in the boat and climbed back on board, shaking his wet hair at her.

She laughed. "Enjoy yourself?"

"Hell, yes. Thanks for driving."

"It was my pleasure. I liked handling the controls."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his wet body doing nothing to cool down the raging heat his kiss had evoked within her.

"You like being in control, huh?"

She palmed his bare chest. "That wasn't at all what I meant."

"So you like giving up control?"

She pushed back. "And that wasn't what I implied, either."

He laughed and grabbed the towel, then started up the boat again and drove them to a shady spot where he dropped the anchor.

"How about some lunch?"

"That sounds perfect. Water-skiing makes me hungry."

He had sandwiches and cut up fruit that he ordered made up for them that morning, so they ate and drank in the shade while the boat bobbed in the water. The waves had started to pick up as clouds began to thicken.

"Rain might be moving in," Patch said as they both watched the sky.

"Should we head back?"

"Probably. We don't want to be caught out on the water in case there's lightning or a downpour."

They finished lunch, packed up all the gear, and Patch made his way back to the boat dock. Once again, Nora hopped out of the boat and backed the jeep and trailer down the ramp, while Patch pulled the boat onto the trailer. Once secured, Patch climbed into the jeep and drove them back to the hotel.

When they got back and finished putting things away Patch walked over to the window and looked out. "Looks like a good storm coming in." Sure enough, right on cue a huge crack of white lightning lit up the dark sky and cast light into the hotel room as thunder shook the ground. Patch pulled Nora tightly into his arms and gave her a kiss.

"I'm going to take a shower." Nora grabbed a quick shower and slipped into a cotton sundress, leaving her hair damp. Patch came in just as she was finishing combing out her hair.

"Wow, you look gorgeous."

She laughed. "My hair's wet and I have no makeup on."

He kissed her shoulder. "I like you that way."

She took a deep breath. "I'll let you take your shower.

"Sounds good. I'll be right out."

By the time she straightened up the room, Patch had reappeared in a pair of shorts and a no top, his hair still damp from his shower. He slipped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"You smell good."

She took a deep breath. Thunder had started rumbling outside again.

They sat on the small balcony off the honeymoon suite. It was still warm, but windy, the limbs of the trees stretching back and forth as the skies darkened further.

"I love the smell of rain." Nora smiled softly.

"I do too. It's a lot nicer out here where it's quite, back in the city it's not so pleasant. I remember when Rixon and I would build forts in our rooms during thunderstorms and pretend we were mighty knights defending the castle during a siege."

She laughed. "Obviously you had good imaginations."

"We had to do something. Two rambunctious boys forced inside due to weather? You can imagine the potential for destruction." Patch smirked.

"You could have read books." Nora teased.

He cocked his head to the side and gave her a look. "Come on. I mean, books were fine later, when I was older. When we were little we wanted to be doing something, not reading about someone else doing something. We heard the stories Clista read and watched the movies she played for us as kids or our nanny's before that. That's where we got the warrior and castle ideas."

"I like that you envisioned yourselves as knights."

"We'd use broomsticks as our swords. I gave Rixon a black eye during a particularly vicious sword fight one stormy afternoon."

She laughed. "Oops. Did you get in trouble?"

"Beat was more like it. Boys will be boys though." Patch never really talked about things like that when they were little. She was younger than him, his memories went back further and clearer than hers did. He didn't have many happy moments at home though. This was nice to hear.

"I always got in trouble for fighting with Vee."

"I imagine your fights weren't physical like ours were."

"True enough. We mostly yelled at each other, then I'd get the blame for starting it because I was the more responsible sister, when half the time it was Vee bugging me or taking one of my toys. Some big sister she turned out to be." Nora giggled at the memories.

"Siblings can be a pain in the ass sometimes."

"Yes. I'd try to escape from her a lot."

"We'd have played out in the storms if we were allowed to, our mom didn't want us getting muddy."

"Little boys are supposed to get muddy." At least in Nora's opinion.

"That's what I thought, too. You know my mom, she wasn't for anything that was dirty, work, or didn't put her in the spotlight."

"I know, I'm sorry." Nora looked at him sympathetically.

He shrugged. "It's no big deal."

She slid her hand in his. "But it was, wasn't it, Patch?"

Her gaze met his and lightning arced across the sky, followed by a loud crash of thunder that drew their attention. The clouds burst, and rain came down in sheets so thick you couldn't see. The wind whipped around them, rain lashing the balcony. They grabbed their glasses and dashed inside.

"Wow, that was rather abrupt," Nora said, shaking the water droplets off.

They dried off with a towel in the bathroom.

The rain came down hard for the first thirty minutes, then settled into a steady, light shower after that. Nora and Patch curled up on the couch in the seating area of the suite to watch.

"Did you have fun water-skiing today?" he asked.

He'd picked up her legs and draped them over his lap, pulling her closer. Nora had to admit, she didn't mind this at all, she was loving the domestication of this weekend with him, the feeling of being a real couple in a real relationship. She tilted her head back to look at him. "I had a great time. Thanks for taking me."

"Thanks for driving the boat so I could get in a little skiing."

"I enjoyed it."

"Oh, right. That whole control thing. We were going to discuss that."

Nora arched a brow. "No, I don't believe we were."

"Yeah. You said you liked being in control, and then I got hard thinking about you being on top."

She laughed. "I think this conversation played out entirely in your head."

"Did it? Huh. So about that control thing." He laid his glass on the table and pulled her on top of him. His hands splayed across her back, then started a slow trek south, stopping when he grabbed her butt.

Her body started up a fast rush of pleasure. She wriggled against him. "So not subtle, Cipriano."

He quirked a wickedly sexy, bad-boy grin up at her. "I wasn't really going for subtle, Grey."

She palmed his chest. His body was warm, a storm raged outside, and she couldn't think of anyplace she'd rather be than right where she was.

"No, you're definitely not being subtle." The hard proof of that rocked between her legs, igniting her passion. She surged against him, lost in his eyes, which, when he was laughing, were a soft shade of black, but when filled with passion, like now, turned dark as a churning sea at midnight.

"So, it's storming outside, Angel." Patch said, brushing her hair away from her face. His touch ignited her pulse rate as his hand lingered at the side of her neck. "Do you want to play indoors?"

"Swordplay?" she asked.

Patch laughed. "Yeah. Swordplay sounds good to me."

Patch watched the change of emotions on Nora's face, from playful to sexy to downright temptress as she bent and brushed her lips across his. His breath caught as she slipped her tongue between his lips.

She was just so damn sweet, a mix of innocence and sultry vixen that tightened his balls and turned him into a walking erection every time he was around her. She smelled good, her laugh drove him crazy, and she had a wicked sense of humor. Package that up in a body built for a man's hands and a mouth made to worship, and she was damned near perfect, and now she was his.

And as she moved that lush body of hers over his, she unraveled his senses. He let his fingers trek across her bare shoulders and over her back, feeling her breasts rise and fall against his chest as her breathing deepened.

"I like this dress." He said, smoothing his hands over the soft cotton that clung to her curves. "When you put it on after your shower, I wanted to take it off of you right away."

She sat up, looked at him, that sexy, fuck-me look in her eyes making his dick harden even more. "Is that right?"

"Yeah."

"I can take it off."

He tightened his hold on her hips. "No. Actually, I'd like you to keep it on."

Her eyes gleamed with wicked desire. "I can do that, too. I'll be right back."

She slid off of him and disappeared while he took several deep breaths. The rain had intensified again, sheets of it pelting against the windows. Lightning flashed just as thunder banged so loud it shook the glass.

Nora came back with a condom packet in her hand.

He smiled. "Smart thinking. I'd hate to be interrupted."

She reached underneath her sundress and made quite the show out of shimmying out of her panties. While he never got a glimpse at the goods, he held his breath as the navy silk underwear slid down her legs.

"God, that's sexy, Nora," he said, when the underwear pooled at her feet and she stepped out of them, then straddled him again.

"I'm glad you think so, because I've never been much for stripping in front of a man." She teased. She'd stripped for him hundreds of times.

He grasped her hips and grabbed a handful of her dress. "Good to know." Patch smirked.

She reached down and laid her palm over his erection. "Now we need to get you inside me."

Heat flared throughout his body, his balls quivering in response. "Oh, I think we need more foreplay."

"Who's in charge here?"

He laughed. "You are."

"I know what I need. I've been watching you all day, with your tanned body on the boat and out on the water, your skin gleaming in the sun." She slid her small hands up his chest. "All I could think about was getting you naked and inside me. That's about all the foreplay I can stand, Patch."

He liked her way of thinking. And knowing she wore nothing under that dress had his hard-on raging.

"Then let's get to it." He leaned forward and she helped him by raising up enough so he could slide out of his shorts.

She reached for him, curling her fingers around his shaft. "Now this is what I need. You, naked, with me on top of you."

Patch reached for the condom packet, his fingers shaking as she stroked him. "You do too much of that and we'll be finished before we ever get started."

Nora leveled one hell of a naughty smile at him. "Oh, I bet you have a lot more willpower than you think."

He applied the condom and lifted her dress, her beautiful body exposed to him as she slid over him, onto him. She gasped and he swallowed, hard, as he entered her, filling her.

"Nora," he said, barely able to find his voice as she seated herself fully on him. He grasped her hips and stilled her, looking up at her. "Hang on a sec. I just need to feel you."

She stared down at him, her body quivering around him, beckoning him to thrust, to give her what they both needed. He drove into her. Nora tilted her head back, her eyes shuttering closed as she rode him.

This time, she was fully in control and he let her take the reins, content to just watch as her face flushed with arousal. He drew the straps of her dress down, exposing her breasts. He grasped them, brushing his thumbs over her erect nipples while she rocked against him, taking them both higher while thunder crashed overhead, rain pounded the shutters, and a storm raged equally within the two of them.

His breathing quickened as she hurried the pace, dragging her body against his, tightening against him. And when she opened her eyes and locked gazes with him, he knew she was close. He lifted his hips and thrust into her.

Her eyes widened and she bit down on her bottom lip, keeping that eye contact with him that enveloped him in a haze of need. He felt the tremors and grasped her hips, quickening the pace so he could give her what she needed.

Her lips parted and she cried out with her orgasm. He plunged deep, then shuddered as he came, holding tight to her as he rolled with the thundering climax that shattered them both.

"I love you, Angel."

"I love you too, Patch."

She fell on top of him, her breathing fast, her hair a cascade of sweet softness over his chest. He stroked her back as the two of them recovered.

"Maifasaslp," she mumbled against his neck.

He smiled at her incoherent statement. "Huh?"

She lifted her head. "My foot's asleep."

He laughed. "Oh." Patch took her foot and massaged it for her before carrying her back to the bed for a nap before dinner.

With Nora pressed tightly to him, wrapped in his arms he felt that feeling of contentment he was addicted to now.

"I meant what I said Nora, I really do love you." He stroked her back and her hair while placing a kiss to the top of her head. Nora sighed and nuzzled in closer to him.

"I know you do, but I'll never get tired of hearing it." Before he knew it her breathing had evened out and she was fast asleep.

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><p><strong>The three big words have been spoken, nothing held back and we see the happy couple with a day away at peace just enjoying fun together which we haven't really had in this story. Did you get why he waited? It was a little complicated, but it fit his character, sometimes I forget that you don't have all the 'inside' information on them that I do so I hope that cleared things up a little for you. What did you think? Let me know, I love your reviews and it's fun trying different things with this story.<strong>


	28. Chapter 28- LET'S HAVE A BALL

_**DISCLAIMER:**__**ALL HUSH HUSH CHARACTERS BELONG TO THE LOVELY AND TALENTED BECCA FITZPATRICK, ALL OTHERS ARE MINE :)**_

_**THIS**__** CHAPTER: WE HAVE THE RETURN OF TWO CHARACTERS, TRISTAN MAKES AN APPEARENCE AGAIN AND THIS TIME HE'S GOT A FRIEND WITH HIM THAT YOU MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT... READ AND REVIEW! **_

_**PERSONAL NOTE:** I'M SORRY THESE ARE TAKING LONGER, I'M HAVING SOME PROBLEMS STAYING ON TOP OF THIS ONE, BOOKZRMYLIFE, YOU'RE THE REASON THE LAST TWO CHAPTERS HAVE GOTTEN DONE, YOUR WORDS OF ENCOURAGMENT AND BEGGING ME FOR MORE DOES THE TRICK EVER TIME. THERE AREN'T LEMONS IN THIS CHAPTER, SORRY GUYS, BUT THERE IS SOME ANGST THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD FOR A WHILE SO I HOPE THAT MAKES UP FOR IT. AGAIN, I'M TRYING NEW THINGS OUT SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST STORY EVER, HERE'S HOPING IT DOESN'T SUCK TOO MUCH :)_

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><p><span><em><strong>CHAPTER 28<strong>_

_**LET'S HAVE A BALL**_

_THREE MONTHS LATER_

Patch and I have been together for three months now. Things have been perfect, he hasn't given me any doubts that he was anything but sincere in his confession and promises to me. He didn't even seem to be struggling with monogamy like we all thought he might. In celebration Vee convinced grandma that we should have a dance, a formal masquerade ball. Normally I would never go for anything like this, but since my accident I tried to appease my sister, and to be honest, I like being able to show off my relationship with Patch. No more pining away in the dark, now I was free to hold his hand, kiss him, and best of all, tell him I loved him anytime I wanted. That amounted to once ever 2.2 seconds, and Patch wasn't any better. It was like once we said it we couldn't stop.

"So give me the update, where are we at, is everything ready for the ball tomorrow night?" This is a big deal, all the proceeds are being donated to the food bank and winter clothing drive for the homeless." I asked Vee who was organizing everything.

She loved parties and she loved throwing them even more so I was letting her do most of the arrangements. My requirement was that the donations go to support the causes I chose and I would have input on the decorations and party. I let Vee manage the guest list with one exception, no Tristan Miller. I was prepared for it to be the elite, the 'upper crest' of society, and while I hated that, it would bring in the money I hoped to raise. Sometimes things had to be special invite, exclusive only to get what you needed done. This was the one time that having our last names really came in handy, actually, it wasn't because of our last names as much anymore as the astonishing success of Patch's Corporation. He had really made a name for himself and that name brought recognition all of his own, independent from our families. I was more than extremely proud of him, even more so because of his ethics and business goals. He was on his way to the top in Forbes Magazine, one of the youngest, richest, most successful young entrepreneurs of our time. Someone they considered to be the one to watch and take notes from. It wasn't the money or fame that hit home with me or that made me proud, it was what he was doing with it. Like this ball, donating so much money to such worthy causes. His idea was to buy businesses that were having huge success but being driven into bankruptcy and closure by poor management. He would buy them up, bring in the right people, or train the one's already employed preferably to do the job right and use the profit from the new thriving business to step in and rebuild other faltering ones. With his advertising experience he could market the company to the target audience, taking advantage of his partnership with Angelo that he still held. He raised the wages of everyone's pay, only replacing those who he had to for legitimate reasons such as theft, not working, showing up drunk etc. Everyone else was encouraged to further themselves with training, he would offer to pay for it or reimburse the cost of once it was completed. Patch gave bonuses to those hard workers earning them and inside promotions. The people under him were valuable to Patch, he never forgot the days we struggled or how it felt to not have parents at home with us, sure it had been our parents choice not to be there, but others weren't that lucky, that choice was made for them so he made families a priority. There were parties at each business where families were encouraged to attend with raffles and games that were part of the festivities for all ages. For a guy who had planned to stay single and mingle he sure did have a family friendly view on how to run things. He insisted on paid vacations and not only paid maternity leave, but leave for new fathers as well. Patch set up a generous amount of sick leave for those with children or health issues that could be verified. Those who won the Employee of the Month at each business earned a weekend get away for them and their significant other and/or family. Patch wants to start a foundation to further his beliefs and rally support for the causes he believes in, I'm all for that.

The changes he's made and the growth he's showing have me beaming with pride, this is the boy I fell in love with, the man I'm madly, deeply in love with even now after all these years. That's why I'm involved in this ball, it will show him I support him, that we are a team in pursuing the things he's wanting to achieve because we are. This masquerade ball will bring together people with his common goals, allow us to celebrate our relationship and raise money for charity. Helping is the least I can do. I just have to keep reminding myself that this doesn't make me like my mom, I'm not doing this to further my reputation or to climb the social ladder, I'm doing this to help others in need, like Patch and I were when we left home. I had been to large parties before, we grew up a part of the founding families of our town, but this was sure to be on a whole other scale and that had me feeling slightly ill, I just had to keep reminding myself this would help Patch and this did not make me like my mother. The memories were there though of all the balls we had been to in the last six years since being disowned, the way everyone stared at us because we no longer belonged, the cold words that went with the cold looks and shoulders I received, it all hurt. It didn't bother Patch, but it sure as hell had bothered me.

"All of the guests have responded concerning their attendance and the invitations were clear that this is a formal event." Vee told me.

"I don't even want to know how many people you invited. The black and white dress code with masks required was made clear too?"

"Yes, and I wouldn't tell you anyways how many people are coming, you wouldn't show up." She smirked and my stomach rolled with anxiety.

Great, I groan. That means she's gone wild and probably invited half the city's population.

"What about decorations, has everything been set up?" This was a big deal, we were holding it at a hotel designed to be a miniature version of The Plaza, so elegant and over the top was the goal. Men would be in tuxedo's and women in ball gowns, you couldn't get in without an invitation and a mask.

"Table decorations are already there along with the linen's. The lights have been hung, the music has been picked and the orchestra is ready." Vee smiled.

Normally I hated this kind of music, okay, I hated anything close to this kind of event, but it was a rather exciting to be the one organizing it for once and for good causes.

"Did you mail mom and dad an invitation?" I asked Vee. I know she hates being put in between us, I don't like doing that to her either. I came out of my accident even stronger than I was before so if she did I would handle it better than I would have previously. Three months after my release I'm completely healed, off all medications and happier than I have ever been.

It's been six years since I left home with Patch and in a few months I will be graduating from college thanks to him. With my degree I will be able to know I can support myself and be independent, even though I know that Patch will insist on continuing to help take care of me. The knowledge I can do that though on my own is important to me and what's important to me is important to him. Plus, I love writing and I also love reading. I've thought about trying to write a book, maybe get published, but there's a lot of competition out there, it's not as easy as it seems, even if you have a brilliant idea and a great story. Just getting someone to read your manuscript is nearly impossible these days. I've considered being an editor, maybe opening my own business or publishing company. I have a lot of options now thanks to Patch paying for my education that I wouldn't have had without him. None of what I'm accomplishing is thanks to my parents.

"No, actually I decided not to." Vee said smugly.

"Really?" My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Seriously. This is your night, yours and Patch's and they don't need to ruin it for you guys. Plus, they've been the center of attention at enough parties, it won't kill them to miss out on the party of the century." She grinned.

"You realize that they are going to freak out, right? At least mom will. You're going to be hearing about this till the day she dies." I smirk.

"Yes, but you're worth it." She gave me a quick hug. Vee and I have gotten a lot closer since my accident, even with her not living in the city and being married we are closer than we've ever been.

"I didn't think there would ever come a time that I didn't long for them to be a part of my life, that I wouldn't crave their love and acceptance. I don't hate them, I just don't like or approve of their behavior, they're toxic for me."

"You didn't always approve or accept Patch's behavior." Vee looked down uncomfortably, as if she were afraid to say what was on her mind, very unlike Vee.

"I know, but Patch didn't do the things he did out of spite or to control me. He didn't choose those women over me to personally hurt me and he never made me feel unwelcome or unlovable. Patch is the one person I've had to depend on through any storm, not mom and dad."

"I never understood how you could choose someone over mom and dad, even Patch, but I get it now." Vee said.

"You do?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"When you were in the hospital mom and dad didn't even show up until we had been there a long time, then they didn't visit or call hardly ever to check up on you. We couldn't get Patch to even step outside of your hospital room door." She smirked. "That should have been mom and dad in there sitting holding your hand and not leaving your side, but it wasn't." Vee's voice was sad. "I lost my respect for them."

"You know I never wanted you to be in the middle of us, to be involved. I would never expect you to choose between our parents and me."

"I realize that now, Patch isn't the only one who had his eyes opened." She winked at me and I laughed. "Now you need to go get your homework done so you can enjoy the party tomorrow night." She shoved me towards the door.

Patch spared no expense on Nora's dress; he commissioned a custom-made dress from a designer in New York. The dress was black, which contrasts starkly with her mahogany red hair, and strapless with a sweetheart neckline which made the dress hug to her curve. The bodice had diamonds and pearls sewn into the fabric with gold thread to make the dress sparkle, it tapered to give way to a straight skirt with a slight train at the bottom. The masquerade mask was also custom-made; it was molded to fit Nora's face perfectly. The mask had lace sewn around the edges and was decorated with strands of pearls and blue sapphires with white feathers accentuating the right side of the mask.

Nora smiled at her reflection in the mirror as she took in her appearance; to her eye, she looks regal and elegant and she knew that Patch would be impressed. As much confidence as she had in herself she still had butterflies in her stomach over how many people were sure to be there. She grew up attending founder's parties and ball's, but this was in a league of its own. With Patch's success came expectations, they worked hard to balance that, staying true to themselves while meeting the responsibilities of someone in his position now. It was all so new, their relationship, his business, his success. It had the recipe of disaster written all over it with that kind of pressure riding on their new relationship, but Nora and Patch weren't a typical couple, if anyone could make it work it would be them, neither of them were the type of person who would be changed or swayed by money or success. They had been the victims of such a lifestyle, they weren't going to repeat their parents mistakes.

The ballroom was stunning, it would easily impress and surpass the expectations of the guests, Vee had outdone herself. The circular tables were set with six chairs each, they were covered in black table clothes- black signifying Fallen Angels. In the center of each table was a circular clear glass bowl filled with water that contained black floating candles surrounded by white roses- white was the color being used to represent Angels that hadn't fallen. The raised centerpiece bowl was flanked by crystal champagne flutes filled with water and a single black floating candle, white roses filled in the spaces between the bowl and flutes, scattered white rose petals decorated the black cloth around the decorative ensemble. The napkins were a fancy white folded linen cloth that was held by a black holder decorated in an intricate black and white rose design piece that's center attraction was two masks, one white and the other black representing angels and their fallen counterparts. The ceiling was draped in sheer black fabric and decorated by millions of tiny pin lights that gave the impression of a sparkling midnight sky. There were matching decoration pieces cast strategically around the giant ballroom, the place was fit for royalty and fog machines gave the room an ethereal feeling and look.

Nora wanted to make Patch proud, however, when she made her way into the ballroom it was filled almost to the rafters with masked figures, many of whom Nora had never met. Most, she assumed, were members of Patch's rich and powerful sect.

To the majority of these faceless people, Patch Cipriano was nothing more than a dashing, charming business person on his way to the top. To the men, Patch was an articulate and sophisticated man they wanted to befriend, to do business with, they all wanted a share of his growing company and wealth. Ah, but to the women, though? To the women he was this animalistic enigma they wanted to figure out, and tame. More than that each was hoping to test his reputation in bed. Patch wasn't married yet, that made him fair game in the minds of single women in this social circle, especially since he wasn't yet engaged either, something Patch planned to change.

Nora swallowed a sigh as she searched the room for her fallen angel. The masquerade was barely getting underway and yet she could see that a great many of the guests her..._boyfriend_, she corrected quickly. She wasn't _quite __able_ to call Patch Cipriano her fiance, even in the privacy of her own thoughts. Not that they weren't headed that way, because it was more than obvious to her (and everyone else) that they were. And it wasn't because she questioned her role in Patch's life. She was quite aware that to him, as well as to the world at large, she was the Queen of his vast empire, his Angel, but she wasn't about to curse the luck or love she had just been blessed with by being cocky, cocky was Patch's role, not hers.

Most of the guests, she saw as she slowly glanced around, were congregated in small clusters at the edges of the elaborate dance floor. A small crowd was twirling to Tchaikovsky's _Swan Lake, Op, 20 (Lake In the Moonlight)_, their black and white colored masks almost as extravagant as the jewels and costumes they were wearing. People had already been lining up in the dining room to partake of the refreshments being laid out when she'd passed a few minutes ago. A quick glance showed her that even more were taking advantage of the full service bar that was set up out on the balcony.

Nora was surrounded by a cornucopia of people.

_Damnation_, she thought as she reached up to finger the huge diamond nestled between her breasts. _There are more people here than I anticipated there would be, even for Vee this is outlandish_. She was half tempted to just flee back to the relative safety of their home and say the hell with the Ball. Patch knew she still got anxious in large crowds, especially one's that included their parents inner circle and those he needed to make acquaintances with, he'd understand why if she left. _No__, I'm going to make him proud, I'm not a coward, not anymore_.

No, what she _really _wanted was for Patch to suddenly appear at her side, tuck her hand into the crook of his arm and escort her into the ballroom. Nora pushed that fanciful thought aside, he was busy taking care of his part as host and center of attention for the night. She had to do this without her sinfully handsome man to hold onto. Her anxiety was not something she could easily put aside. Not when the familiar bands of panic were already starting to wrap themselves around her chest and cinch tight. She chewed on her bottom lip, struggling to work up the courage necessary to take the final steps that would lead her into the sea of masked strangers. _I have to get used to this, this is Patch's life now, our life now, and it's time to stop letting my past with our parents associates rule my emotions. _

Almost as if he'd been conjured up by some sort of magic spell, Patch appeared at her side, a devastating smile curving his full lips. "Hello, my Angel."

"Patch." The stark relief she heard in her own voice sickened and annoyed her. Still… "I'm so glad you're here."

"I've always been there when you have needed me, have I not?" He rumbled.

"Yes." She nodded. "Of course you have been." And he had, that was no secret.

"Then you knew I would be here now." Patch raised an eyebrow and smirked knowingly at her. She was as much his rock as he was hers, she just didn't see it yet, but she was getting there. It wasn't that she was still weak or insecure, she was neither of those, she just hadn't gotten her barring yet on things. This was their first event as a couple and her first time being in a room containing Coldwater Creeks upper crest on top of the countless strangers Vee had invited, these people were some of the worlds most intelligent, it was a little intimidating even for the experienced.

Nora saw his eye sweep her then, appreciation and something darker, hungrier burning in its depth that absolutely stole what little breath she was managing to draw in. The primal hunger shimmering in that obsidian depth left her knees wobbly, her mouth dry and her pulse bucking more than a wild Mustang.

"You look beautiful, Angel."

Nora shivered as her belly coiled into those achingly hot knots it always did whenever Patch spoke in that low, throaty baritone. "Considering how _you_ chose my costume?" Her lips curled delicately at the corners. "I would hope that you are pleased with how it turned out." She flirted.

"I am more than pleased with how your costume turned out." He winked and gave her a devilish grin. He didn't look so bad either in his black tuxedo with black shirt, tie and cumber bun. He was every much the part of Fallen Angel, a sexy fallen angel.

Nora had to admit that she was pleased with how her costumed had turned out, remembering how it looked on her when admiring herself in the mirror. At first she'd been flabbergasted when he'd presented her with the mask and gown that afternoon, not understanding the reasoning behind his choice in costume at all, it was extravagant. The dress had flowed over his arm in a waterfall of stones and beads the color of sin and purity all in one. Once she'd dressed, though, she'd understood exactly why Patch had designed this particular costume for her. The woman looking back at her in the full length mirror had glowed with heat and pulsated with heaven. She was the sinfully delicious Fallen Angel and the Queen of the Angels if there was such a thing.

And both sides of her were _his_.

Same as both sides of this man were hers. She accepted that Patch was both the devilish Fallen Angel and the heart of a heavenly Angel, he most certainly was like a Guardian Angel to Nora. _It's why I chose for him to dress as a Fallen Angel __tonight_, she thought, surreptitiously studying him. He really was a sinful sight for sore eyes, his raven black wavy hair, his strong jaw line and aristocratic nose, those sparkling midnight sky eyes that promised trouble contrasting with his Italian complexion, the rippling power of the muscles barely concealed by his tuxedo, he was edible. Patch was a man who could smile cruelly, or sensually. He hadn't shaved that evening, and the shadow of stubble along his jaw and over those angular cheeks turned what was already an arresting face into something edgy. Powerful. _Beautiful_. Ladies were sure to be drooling over him like a kid in a candy store over the last piece of candy. That's what he was, eye candy, _man_ candy and every woman was going to be wanting a taste, Nora was sure of it.

She opened her mouth, intending to commend him on at least adhering to the costume part of the masquerade when a man dressed as the Phantom from the _Phantom of the Opera _shoved by her, she was sure that he was from the Coldwater Creek sect. Nora jumped and let out a tiny squeak. Patch snagged her hand and drew her towards him.

"Relax, love."

"There are a lot more people here than I'd anticipated," she finally mumbled once her heart left her throat. "I didn't think there would be so many who'd show up at once. I'm not sure I..." Her voice trailed off into a sigh full of both nerves and frustration. _I don't_ _need __to be this much of a coward_, she thought bitterly. _I shouldn't__be afraid of walking into a room full of masked strangers, especially with Patch present_.

No, Nora needed to get used to the fact she was now one of the reigning socialites, she was just one that wasn't money hungry or status driven. This woman she intended to be wasn't going to have to be afraid to make a grand entrance (the grander the better, in fact) at this Masquerade Ball. This woman had to get used to go to parties like this all the time. She couldn't act like there was someone lurking in the shadows who could mean her harm or look at her crossly and their words needed to roll of her like water, not ruin her like her parents had tried. Nora needed to be strong and not worry that someone was about to shun or embarrass her.

No, this woman she was trying to muster the confidence up to be would boldly sashay into the ballroom with a mysterious smile curving her glossy lips. This woman would have boldly engaged these strangers (men as well as women) in conversation without feeling as if she was going to throw up the moment she opened her mouth. This woman would be flirtatious, playful, and fearless. She'd melt against this Fallen Angel and lift her mouth for his kiss, uncaring about who was watching or might disapprove of such a display or of her relationship with her parents or especially her relationship with Patch. This is the woman she was going to be tonight...as soon as she stopped shaking.

"Nora?" She heard Patch's concerned voice. Her demeanor must have caught his attention.

"I'm fine, just battling the past." Nora gave a nervous smile.

"Look at me," Patch's husky timbre rolled over her hypersensitive senses, super charging them even more than they already were. Only when she focused her eyes upon his did he ask continue. "What are you afraid will happen?"

She was tembling with the effort to not lose the contents of her stomach. "Right now? My greatest fear is that I will embarrass you by throwing up all over you." Nora gave a nervous laugh, something was off, a sense of foreboding.

His face softened and he reached up to cup her cheek in the palm of his hand. "You are letting your panic defeat you, Angel. And what have I told you about letting your panic rule you or this crowd of money and power hungry judgmental assholes?"

Nora closed her eyes and turned her face into his palm, absorbing the wondrous feeling of his rough skin upon hers. The sensation was heady, intoxicating, it always was. In the midst of turmoil Patch would always be the one who could turn it all around just by his presence alone.

"Don't let it?" Nora finally managed to sound more confident even with her question.

He nodded. "So what should you do about it?"

A voice in the back of her head whispered a logical response to that question: _run like hell, I'm not going to though, I won't let those people win anymore_. Her automatic mouth had her reply, "Remind myself that I am with you and that you will never allow anybody to hurt me anymore, not even my parents or their friends." _Or the hundreds of women you've slept with...You're mine now, Nora smirked to herself feeling more and more confident._

"Promise?" She looked at him, her big dove-gray eyes melting his heart.

His thumb lightly traced her bottom lip. "I promise."

Promises, Nora had come to learn long ago, were things that carried special meaning with Patch Cipriano. They were not guarantees that he made recklessly, nor that he treated lightly. She recalled how the first promise he'd ever made to her after her release from the hospital was about how he would "never allow" her "to be hurt again" by their parents or anyone else for that matter, particularly those from Coldwater Creek.

"_I will protect you, Angel." He assured __her in a silky smooth timbre that made her belly do jumping jacks even while her head swam in its drug induced haze. "And I will keep you safe. I promise_."

It was a promise he'd yet to break in the months they'd been together. Honestly, aside from the emotional pain, he had always kept her safe and he had thwarted a good deal of the emotional pain too from the time she was five on, aside from the pain he had cost her himself after Dabria.

The live band Vee hired began playing _Grim, Grinning Ghosts_. Nora felt it was an appropriate choice considering the innumerable ghosts surrounding them, ghosts of the past life they were leaving behind that night, instead embarking on a new journey together like they had six years ago. Patch led her into a dance, the magical lull had slowly overtaken them and all of Nora's previous worries disappeared as she got lost in Patch.

The night was passing by now without another meltdown, Nora had talked to Vee and her best friends then made a circle greeting their gusts and introducing herself, sometimes with Patch and other times on her own, to the people he was now 'bumping elbows' with in the business world.

Everyone was stunned at the breathtaking room, the event was far surpassing anyone's expectations and the money they had already raised would easily cover five years or more, probably _much_ more for the food bank, not to mention the winter clothes they would be able to provide those in need.

Nora was proud of the success, proud that she had turned herself around with the help of Patch so she could enjoy their night. People had gathered to watch when her and Patch took the dance floor just like old times, it was a great feeling knowing that this time they truly were partners and it wasn't only a dream she had, it was now her reality.

Nora was standing near the banquet table when she saw Tristan enter. She should have known he would be here. On his arm was a woman she thought she recognized but she wasn't sure. The woman was wearing a black silk sheath with a black lace overlay. The dress clung to her body like a second skin, and the black lace bodice molded to her breasts, cinching in at her stomach . Her eyes were covered with a black mask highlighted with red stitching and her hair fell in blonde curls down her back. The two of them stood at the entrance observing the room as if allowing the room to take notice of them. Nora narrowed her eyes when she watched the blonde approach Patch and begin talking to him, she was ready to march over there and make her presence known when Tristan appeared in front of her.

"I need to talk to you." Tristan said, making me tear my eyes away from Patch and the unknown woman briefly. It wasn't like I cared if he talked to other women, I trusted Patch, but something about this woman raised my hackles.

"I really can't talk right now, Tristan. It's not a good time I have to be mingling with all of the guests since Patch and I are hosting the party." I gave him the only excuse that came to mind that was mostly legitimate.

"It really can't wait."

"Tristan," I tried to wiggle loose from the sudden hold he had on my arm. "You can't just-"

His eyes trapped hers, she couldn't seem to pull her gaze away, even when it became awkward, there was something there she wasn't comfortable with.

Tristan dropped his gaze to her full mouth, he wanted to run his tongue along her bottom lip, he wanted to lower that enticing layer of black that clung to her breasts until he felt her smooth, pliable flesh beneath his palms again. Why didn't she understand that she was _his, HIS_, not Patch Cipriano's.

A man near them coughed, breaking the moment, Nora stepped back with a flustered frown, rubbing her elbow with her free hand. "Tristan, I'm serious I don't think-"

"Then stop thinking." He said before dragging her bodily towards one of the dim corridor's off the ballroom.

Nora pulled hard against his hand while her heart rose to clamor against her throat. She didn't want to be alone with Tristan. Her skin crawled beneath his touch, she wasn't going to relinquish control or her judgment like she had the first time with him, this time she was thinking clearly, no fight no alcohol to cloud her judment. She wasn't a fool though, this looked like a fight waiting to happen. Last time at her welcome home party she had still been healing, still been on medication and she hadn't known the changes that were in store for her and Patch so she had been timid and still insecure when she saw him. That was the Nora she knew he was expecting.

Their night together had taught her how very wrong she had been, how very wrong it felt to be touched by another man, it had disgusted her and even now the thought of it made her want to run her ass back home and scrub herself raw for five straight days and pour bleach in her brain to erase in memory of the incident.

"Tristan, stop it." She pried fruitlessly at his curled fingers. She wasn't strong enough to resist him physically, he was stronger than her. "It's rude to leave the party."

Rudeness was apparently no deterrent, as his pace didn't slow until he'd ushered her into a quiet corner partially concealed by a cloud of fog from a near by fog machine.

"You shouldn't be here." Nora's heart filled her throat as she finally yanked free of his hold. "Vee didn't invite you."

He stopped and squared off in front of her, blocking her escape. "How do you know?"

"I asked Vee not to invite you." She flushed, her hands turning clammy.

He twisted her words to suit his purpose. "How gratifying to know you were hoping for my attendance." He smirked.

"I wasn't!" She bit out. "I only asked her to confirm you _weren't_ going to be here."

"Ah." Tristan nodded slowly. His gaze traced her eyes, her cheeks and her mouth, warm and close and terrifying. "Then why haven't you raised an alarm or told me to leave?"

Somehow, she managed to retain a calm, social tone as she shot him an imperious glare. "Maybe I should. You just show up where you aren't wanted, thinking you can just monopolize my time by dragging me off to some corner as you choose when I have been nothing _but_ nice and polite to you."

"Would you preferred that I come to your home, maybe we could break in _your_ bed together."

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Nora gasped.

He shrugged. "Then you should be grateful that by coming here, yet another worthy cause will benefit." He tipped his chin toward the knot of the business worlds Who's Who clustered behind them. "That is what you're all about now, isn't it? Worthy causes?"

How is it that he managed to make it sound like an insult?

"I have no problem with you making a donation for the food bank or the winter clothing drive, or any other charity for that matter." She huffed. "It's your manhandling of _me_ that I have a problem with."

"Really." His green eyes glinted with a feral gleam as he performed a blatant perusal of her body. "Because I seem to remember a time that it was _you _who manhandled _me_.

An incendiary blush rose up to her hairline. "Only you would be ungentlemanly enough to bring _that_ up. I thought you were a nice guy, I guess I was wrong."

Tristan's mouth curved into the wickedest grin she'd ever seen on him. "Since when have I claimed to be a gentleman?" He really hadn't intended on being this way to her, but he was pissed over the way she had skipped out on him, and now she was supposedly with Patch when he treated her worse than a common street whore, he stomped all over her heart and here she was giving Patch a chance she hadn't given him.

"You obviously couldn't be even if you want to." Nora snapped. "You apparently don't know the first thing about it."

He encompassed the ballroom behind them with a dismissive flick of his thumb. "Whereas all the pantywaists behind us do?"

"They at least know how to treat a woman with proper respect."

"I have no doubt about that." He teased, leaning forward to breathe his question against her ear. "So tell me, Nora. How's that working out for you?"

Nora's eyes flickered for a moment at the memory of her earlier anxiety and he didn't miss it.

Tristan smiled. "Badly, I take it?"

She scowled. "It was working just fine until you showed up."

One of his hands moved to stroke the side of her neck, brushing the skin beneath her ear with a feathery touch. "Liar."

She jerked away from his touch like she'd been burned. "How the hell did you get in without an invitation?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Oh I had an invitation, the invites said plus one, I'm a 'plus one'." He smirked as her face flashed in understanding.

"Who did you come with? Whose the lady you're with and why aren't you with her now?" Nora's voice took on a hard edge.

"Andie, she's a reporter and a sort of...partner of mine and a long time friend." His eyes glinted with something she didn't understand when he said the word, 'partner'. Something in the pit of her stomach told her there was more to that story, more that she was sure she wouldn't like.

"We didn't allow any reporters in tonight. None of them were given invites." Nora was immediately suspicious. They didn't want the attendee's harassed, nor did they want to be harassed this evening. "How did she get in?"

"Let's just say she had some _personal _business and called in a favor." Tristan gave her a smile that made her swallow hard with anxiety.

Suddenly the face and memory clicked into place, Patch's loft, she'd seen that lady, Andie, at his loft when she was about to knock on his door one morning. It had been a long time ago. Nora's heart started hammering again in her chest, what the hell did she want, another go at Nora's man? Insecurity started to well up in her then she got a grip on reality, Patch had given her no reason to doubt him since they became an official couple, he had even been honest back then about not being able to give her monogamy, he never hid those other women from her.

Tristan seemed to soften, his face taking on a sympathetic look and his voice came out gentler. "You know he was just using you. He's only with you now because he feels bad you were hurt. I bet you had a fight about me the night you were in the accident and he feels guilty. He doesn't love you, _I love you_ Nora, not him." Nora's eyes widened in shock at his words, he didn't even know her! He took a step towards her and she took an automatic step back.

"He can never give you what I can give you, Patch has never cared about anything but himself, I care about-"

"Yourself or you wouldn't be trapping her in a dark corner away from witnesses to your lies, scaring her and hurting her feelings by making her doubt my love for her." Patch's voice boomed loud and clear behind Tristan who hadn't noticed his approach. Nora ran to him and threw her arms around him and when she was safe in his embrace Patch locked his cold eyes on Tristan, his voice laced with deadly menace. "You have to the count of three to apologize and get your ass out of her before I rip your heart out of your chest and feed it to you."

"I'll leave, but I'm not apologizing for telling her the truth, she deserves to hear it and it won't be the last time." Tristan glared at Patch on his way by. "There's not enough money in the world to keep that truth from her, you'll fuck up, you always do." Then he turned to Nora. "I would say goodbye but we will be seeing each other again."

"Stay the fuck away from _MY GIRL_." Patch tried to take a step, ready to teach Tristan Miller a lesson but Nora put her small hand on his chest, stopping him.

"Don't, he's not worth it Patch. I know you love me, he's not worth ruining the reputation you're building, let him go as long as he leaves." Then Nora turned to Tristan.

"Go, get the hell out of here before I change my mind and let him go after you or call the cops on you for putting your hands on me."

"See you later, Nora." Tristan smirked before leaving, making Patch growl. He wanted nothing more than to go after that man and show him what happens when you disrespect and scare a woman, especially _HIS_ woman. Trying to convince Nora that he didn't love her was a low blow.

As soon as Tristan was out of sight tears welled up in Nora's eyes.

"I thought he was a nice guy, I felt bad for what I'd done to him. I think I really hurt his feelings, but he was just a jerk tonight." This was the kind of guy that her parents would have her marry?

"Shh. It's not your fault Angel, girls and guys have one night stands all the time and they don't corner the other person in dark hallways and get rough with them or try to manipulate them with lies."

"He said he loved me." She hung her head in shame.

"That's not how you treat someone you love, that's not love Angel, Tristan doesn't love you."

"That's what he said about you too, that you don't love me, that you just feel bad because I was hurt and you feel responsible."

Patch tilted her chin up so that he could look her in her eyes and she could see the sincerity in his words.

"Is that what you believe, Nora?"

"No." She looked at him through her long lashes.

"Then that's all that matters because it's a complete lie and I will do anything to prove it no matter how long or what it takes to convince you my love for you is real, that _this_ is what I want. I'm yours, all yours from now until the end of time as long as you'll have me."

"Forever." Nora whispered.

"Forever then." Patch brushed his lips softly against hers and she slid her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

"Do you know what you remind me of?" Nora asked Patch.

"No, what?" He raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "A fallen angel?" Patch smirked.

Nora laughed softly. "That too, but I was thinking of a guardian angel, you've always been there, always protecting me."

"And I always will be, I won't lose you, I almost lost you once before and I won't go through that again." His voice was serious.

"I know. We need to get back to our guests, but first I wanted to ask you about that lady Tristan was with, Andie, what did she want with you? Tristan said it was...personal." Nora looked nervously at Patch.

"It was nothing really, she asked me a few questions a while back and I verified some information for her." That didn't really answer her question, it more frustrated her than helped her, but Patch's voice had the tone that told her he wasn't going to tell her anymore no matter how much pleading she did and she wasn't in the mood to fight so she let it go. For now.

Patch let a breath of relief and thanked his lucky stars that Nora had let that drop. He could tell that she had put two and two together and remembered the lady she had once called a whore as she left his place when Nora arrived a little earlier than expected. Andie had chosen this night to question his intentions and motives with Nora. He had told her that he would never settle down. She had told him that Nora was in love with him and he had flat-out denied it back then. Now she wanted him to question what he and Nora were feeling in the present, much like what Tristan was doing with Nora back in that dark corner before he'd found her and intervened. Andie had accused him of the same thing Tristan had, there was no way that he could make people see his feelings were true and pure, and _not_ because of what had happened to Nora. Every day he was more and more convinced that Nora had always had him, he had always been hers and not even Dabria had been able to stop that from being true. They were fated to be, their destiny had taken time and pain to come to fruition, but it was still meant to be and it didn't take an accident to make it so, it had helped him open his eyes, but the feelings, the _love_ had always been there. Andie thought that he needed to try dating without bed hopping and not just with Nora, of course she would suggest that with the offer of taking him out. He wasn't interested in dating anyone else, especially a nosy reporter. He had a distinct distaste for reporters, he knew they had a job to do but you rarely could trust them, believe half of what you see and even less of what you read was his philosophy on reporters and the news. Patch didn't want Nora worried about Andie and she would have been, not so much he didn't think over her poor attempt to lure him away, Nora was confident enough in them he felt that she wouldn't have been too affected by it, but what he _was_ worried about her finding out was the bad gut feeling he had, the one that was like a knife of foreboding that had hit him when Tristan and Andie had walked in. Something about them, especially together had set his senses on high alert and he couldn't shake the feeling they were working as a team and just getting started. Tristan had said he would see Nora again and Patch had a very bad feeling that he was telling the truth. If he so much as breathed on Nora the wrong way Patch would make sure he paid the maximum price for his transgression. He promised to keep her safe and he would, at any cost...

* * *

><p><strong>They just can't catch a break can they? So what did you guys think? How do you feel about the return of Andie and what do you think they have planned for Patch and Nora? I'm struggling some with writing this, both for personal reasons and motivation. I promise I won't stop until it's finished, I won't leave you hanging. As a reader of fanfiction, or any book for that matter, I don't like being left hanging I want to know what happens and it eats me alive when authors quit or leave it undoneunknown. Your reviews keep me motivated though so if you like something please let me know.**

**~FALLING4THEFALLEN~**


	29. AUTHORS NOTE- 2

I wanted to update everyone and say that I am still working on this story, I'm in the process of writing chapter 29. It's taking me a

while and I sincerely apologize but I don't want to post something I'm not happy with or that isn't up to my expectations. It isn't worth

rushing it and giving you guys less than you deserve. You have faithfully supported me and I owe you that much. This story WILL be

finished, I have no intentions EVER of leaving something undone, barring a major catastrophy. Thank you for understanding. Since you are

being so encouraging and supportive I will say this, Tristan and Andie play a major role in chapter 29 and there will be a MAJOR event.


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